On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction
This paper examines the equational identity (El) construction in Nigeria's Edoid language Emai. It weighs this construction's grammatical properties against a complex of equational identity patterns developed in the crosslinguistic investigations of Stassen (1997). Although EI properties r...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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LibraryPress@UF
2003-06-01
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| Series: | Studies in African Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/107346 |
| _version_ | 1818827073750302720 |
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| author | Ronald P. Schaefer Francis O. Egbokhare |
| author_facet | Ronald P. Schaefer Francis O. Egbokhare |
| author_sort | Ronald P. Schaefer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines the equational identity (El) construction in Nigeria's Edoid language Emai. It weighs this construction's grammatical properties against a complex of equational identity patterns developed in the crosslinguistic investigations of Stassen (1997). Although EI properties reveal its functional heritage, they fail to conform fully to Stassen's findings. While EI noun phrases are sensitive to information structure and definiteness values, the construction as a whole fails to exhibit crucial features. It evinces no third person limitation, manifests limited predicational structure, and demonstrates compatibility with a restricted range of temporal categories, although not indicative tense/aspect. It is the last of these that highlights the EI construction's obligatory subjunctive marking and its non-deictic temporal character. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:37:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1aa5b6a0c1644b128d2e5e7291c46bc9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0039-3533 2154-428X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:37:46Z |
| publishDate | 2003-06-01 |
| publisher | LibraryPress@UF |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in African Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1aa5b6a0c1644b128d2e5e7291c46bc92022-12-21T20:44:42ZengLibraryPress@UFStudies in African Linguistics0039-35332154-428X2003-06-0132110.32473/sal.v32i1.107346On the properties of Emai's khi copula constructionRonald P. SchaeferFrancis O. EgbokhareThis paper examines the equational identity (El) construction in Nigeria's Edoid language Emai. It weighs this construction's grammatical properties against a complex of equational identity patterns developed in the crosslinguistic investigations of Stassen (1997). Although EI properties reveal its functional heritage, they fail to conform fully to Stassen's findings. While EI noun phrases are sensitive to information structure and definiteness values, the construction as a whole fails to exhibit crucial features. It evinces no third person limitation, manifests limited predicational structure, and demonstrates compatibility with a restricted range of temporal categories, although not indicative tense/aspect. It is the last of these that highlights the EI construction's obligatory subjunctive marking and its non-deictic temporal character.https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/107346EmaiEdoidequational identity constructions |
| spellingShingle | Ronald P. Schaefer Francis O. Egbokhare On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction Studies in African Linguistics Emai Edoid equational identity constructions |
| title | On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction |
| title_full | On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction |
| title_fullStr | On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction |
| title_short | On the properties of Emai's khi copula construction |
| title_sort | on the properties of emai s khi copula construction |
| topic | Emai Edoid equational identity constructions |
| url | https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/107346 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ronaldpschaefer onthepropertiesofemaiskhicopulaconstruction AT francisoegbokhare onthepropertiesofemaiskhicopulaconstruction |