2013 Annual Meeting of the

Linguistics Association of Great Britain

Maximilien Guérinmaximilien.guerin@univ-paris3.fr

The predicative marker na in Wolof:a case of polygrammaticalization

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Plan

➀ Wolof verbal predication

➁ Origin of Perfect

➂ Origin of Future

➃ Origin of Optative

➄ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Wolof language

Classification:↳ Niger-Congo

↳ Atlantic

Agglutinative morphology

Spoken in Senegambia

Vehicular in Senegal

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Plan

➊ Wolof Verbal Predication

➁ Origin of Perfect

➂ Origin of Future

➃ Origin of Optative

➄ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Wolof verbal predication

Based on phrasal patternsPredicative constructions

Predicative Constructions ≈ Conjugationstense, aspect, mood, information structure

Complex predicates

Verb + Predicative Marker Verb

lexical meaning Predicative Marker

grammatical information + subject affix

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Predicative constructions

Subject Focusma-a liggéey1SG-PM work

Presentativema-angi liggéey1SG-PM work

Complement Focusfii la-a liggéeyhere PM-1SG work

Verb Focusda-ma liggéeyPM-1SG work

Perfectliggéey na-awork PM-1SG

Futuredina-a liggéeyPM-1SG work

Optativena-a liggéeyPM-1SG work

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Similar predicative markers

Perfectliggéey na-awork PM-1SG

'I have worked'

Futuredina-a liggéeyPM-1SG work'I will work'

Optativena-a liggéeyPM-1SG work'I should work'

'na' marker is inPerfect, Future & Optative

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Problems in the analysis of 'na'

Morphosyntactic Independant word? Verbal affix? Clitic? How many 'na' in Wolof?

Semantic Indicative (Dard, 1826) Present (Roger, 1829) Perfective (Sauvageot, 1965) Perfect (Robert, 1991) Verb focus (Diouf, 2009) Affirmative (Dunigan, 1994) Finiteness (Zribi-Hertz & Diagne, 1999)

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Plan

➀ Wolof verbal predication

➋ Origin of Perfect

➂ Origin of Future

➃ Origin of Optative

➄ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Difficulties with a diachronic study

Wolof is an oral tradition language No text before the 19th century Not many ancient texts Only missionaries or colonial officers' texts

Historical linguistics is useless Genetic relationship with Serer and Fula Large linguistic distance (>6000 yr)

Need grammaticalization theory Evolution leaves traces in today constructions There are typological tendencies

Origin of PerfectMethodology

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Verb Focus

V1 na-S V2

*bëgg na-nu liggéey want PM-1PL work 'we do want to work'

Hypothesis:

Origin of PerfectHypothesis

Perfect

V1 na-S V2

bëgg na-nu liggéeywant PM-1PL work'we have wanted to work'

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Verb FocusV na-S

Verb Emphasisdef-a V

former state: layering(several constructions for the same function)

Origin of PerfectProcess

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Verb Emphasisdef-a V

PerfectV na-S

Verb FocusV na-S

bleaching process(loss of focus features)

Origin of PerfectProcess

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PerfectV na-S

Verb FocusV na-S

Verb Focusdafa-S V

Verb Emphasisdef-a V

morphologization+ decategorialization

Origin of PerfectProcess

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Bleaching process

''The mechanism behind bleaching is habituation: a stimulus loses its impact if it occurs very frequently'' (Bybee, 2007)

[V na-S] highly frequent in Wolof

Loss of emphatic value attested in other languages (Bybee & al., 1994)

Origin of PerfectArguments

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FOC PM S V

Subject Foc S -a ∅ V

ma -a liggéey

Compl. Foc C la -S V

fii la -a liggéey

Perfect V na -S ∅

liggéey na -a

Origin of PerfectArguments

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Origin of PerfectArguments

Complement Focus Perfect

PM SUBJ PM SUBJ

SG 1 la -a na -a

2 ∅ -nga ∅ -nga

3 la ∅ na ∅

PL 1 la -nu na -nu

2 ∅ -ngeen ∅ -ngeen

3 la -ñu na -ñu

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Plan

➀ Wolof verbal predication

➁ Origin of Perfect

➌ Origin of Future

➃ Origin of Optative

➄ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Foc. Imperfective

di na-S V2

*di na-nu liggéey IPFV PM-1PL work 'we will work'

Hypothesis:

Future

dina-S V1

dina-nu liggéeyPM-1PL work'we will work'

Origin of FutureHypothesis

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Verb FocusV1 na-S V2

Imperfective Focusdi na-S V2

instantiationV1 = auxiliary verb 'di'

Origin of FutureProcess

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Futuredina-S V1

Imperfective Focusdi na-S V2

morphologization

Origin of FutureProcess

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Origin of FutureArguments

Semantic argument

dina (FUT) = di (IPFV) + na (PRF)future = imperfective perfect

↳ incoherent equivalence

dina (FUT) = di (IPFV) + na (VFOC)future = focalized imperfective= Focus on the habitual or continuous aspect

≈ ↳ Future

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Origin of FutureArguments

Further argument

Negative Future Focus→

d-u-ma naanFUT-NEG-1SG drink'I (never) drink'

dina-a naanFUT-1SG drink'I will drink'

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Plan

➀ Wolof verbal predication

➁ Origin of Perfect

➂ Origin of Future

➍ Origin of Optative

➄ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Focus on verb 'yell'

yell na S V2

*yell na Omar dem be.suitable PM Omar go 'it is suitable to let Omar go'

Hypothesis:

Optative

na S V1

na Omar demPM Omar go'let Omar go'

Origin of OptativeHypothesis

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Verb FocusV1 na S V2

Focus on verb 'yell'yell na S V2

instantiationV1 = verb 'yell'

Origin of OptativeProcess

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Focus on verb 'yell'yell na S V2

'yell' was progressively

dropped

Origin of OptativeProcess

Frozen formyell na S V2

'yell' triggered a semantic change of

'na' by inference

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Optativena S V1

Focus on verb 'yell'yell na S V2

semantic changeby inference

(conventionalization of implicature)

Origin of OptativeProcess

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Origin of OptativeArguments

Optative absent from oldest grammars Did not exist?

But in these grammars (Dard, 1826) Equivalent construction (same meaning) Describe as frozen construction Involves the verb 'yell' and the PM 'na'

Kind of evolution documented in other languages (Bybee & al., 1994)

Explain why the lexical subject is between the PM and the verb in Optative

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Plan

➀ Wolof verbal predication

➁ Origin of Perfect

➂ Origin of Future

➃ Origin of Optative

➎ A case of polygrammaticalization

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Futuredina-S V1

Imperfective Focusdi na-S V2

A case of polygrammaticalization

Verb FocusV1 na-S V2

Focus on verb 'yell'yell na-S V2

Optativena-S V1

PerfectV1 na-S V2

Verbdi

Verbyell

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Explain the formal similarity of Perfect, Optative and Future Constructions

Account for characteristics of these constructions Neutral value of Perfect Actual focus meaning of dina negative form Syntactic position of the lexical subject in Optative

Compatible with the remaining predicative constructions

More coherent approach to verbal morphosyntax

Provide new perspectives to analyze the relations between such constructions

Conclusion

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References

BYBEE J. 2007. Frequency of Use and the Organization of Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

BYBEE J., PERKINS R., PAGLIUCA W. 1994. The Evolution of Grammar: Tense, aspect, and modality in the languages of the world. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

CHURCH E. 1981. Le système verbal du wolof. Dakar: Université de Dakar.

COMRIE B. 1976. Aspect. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

DARD J. 1826. Grammaire wolofe. Paris: Imprimerie Royale.

DIOUF J-L. 2009. Grammaire du wolof contemporain. Paris: L'Harmattan.

HOPPER P., TRAUGOTT E. 2003. Grammaticalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

ROBERT S. 1991. Approche énonciative du système verbal : Le cas du Wolof. Paris: Éditions du CNRS.

VOISIN-NOUGUIER S. 2002. Relations entre fonctions syntaxiques et fonctions sémantiques en wolof. Université Lyon 2: PhD Dissertation.