The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase
This article articulates the structure of the noun phrase in the Bantu language Nyakyusa. The aim of the study is to move a step ahead from the focus on concords across Bantu languages to the analysis of the order of elements within the noun phrase. As scholars have paid less attention to the synta...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nordic Africa Research Network
2009-12-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| Online Access: | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/217 |
| _version_ | 1797700716156944384 |
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| author | Amani Lusekelo |
| author_facet | Amani Lusekelo |
| author_sort | Amani Lusekelo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article articulates the structure of the noun phrase in the Bantu language Nyakyusa. The aim of the study is to move a step ahead from the focus on concords across Bantu languages to the analysis of the order of elements within the noun phrase. As scholars have paid less attention to the syntax of the noun and its dependents (Rugemalira 2007), then the analysis of the order of elements in the Nyakyusa noun phrases is necessary. This study found the following: (i) the dominant attested order of the elements in a Nyakyusa noun phrase is N > [(Poss)(Dem)] > [(Num)(Quant)(A)] > [(Int)(Rel)], (ii) both the possessive and demonstrative may occur immediately after the head noun, but when the possessive immediately follows the head noun it must drop a pre-prefix. Also, the demonstrative can not precede the head noun if so, the meaning changes; (iii) hypothetically, with recurrence, more than seven elements can co-occur within a single noun phrase.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:26:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c79488d0fc642fc9d919a5168b24888 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1459-9465 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:26:37Z |
| publishDate | 2009-12-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Africa Research Network |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c79488d0fc642fc9d919a5168b248882023-09-03T10:19:37ZengNordic Africa Research NetworkNordic Journal of African Studies1459-94652009-12-0118410.53228/njas.v18i4.217The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun PhraseAmani Lusekelo0Dar es Salaam University College of Education, Tanzania This article articulates the structure of the noun phrase in the Bantu language Nyakyusa. The aim of the study is to move a step ahead from the focus on concords across Bantu languages to the analysis of the order of elements within the noun phrase. As scholars have paid less attention to the syntax of the noun and its dependents (Rugemalira 2007), then the analysis of the order of elements in the Nyakyusa noun phrases is necessary. This study found the following: (i) the dominant attested order of the elements in a Nyakyusa noun phrase is N > [(Poss)(Dem)] > [(Num)(Quant)(A)] > [(Int)(Rel)], (ii) both the possessive and demonstrative may occur immediately after the head noun, but when the possessive immediately follows the head noun it must drop a pre-prefix. Also, the demonstrative can not precede the head noun if so, the meaning changes; (iii) hypothetically, with recurrence, more than seven elements can co-occur within a single noun phrase. https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/217 |
| spellingShingle | Amani Lusekelo The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| title | The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase |
| title_full | The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase |
| title_fullStr | The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase |
| title_short | The Structure of the Nyakyusa Noun Phrase |
| title_sort | structure of the nyakyusa noun phrase |
| url | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/217 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amanilusekelo thestructureofthenyakyusanounphrase AT amanilusekelo structureofthenyakyusanounphrase |