The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania
In this brief paper we show that the Bantu language Tiania (a variety of Kimeru spoken in Kenya) has a curious gap in the expression of the passive. In the anterior tenses that take an /-eet-ɛ/ inflectional ending, it is not possible to use the otherwise general -w passive suffix (*-eet-w-ɛ). Inste...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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LibraryPress@UF
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Studies in African Linguistics |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/133237 |
| _version_ | 1797387773527719936 |
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| author | Larry Hyman |
| author_facet | Larry Hyman |
| author_sort | Larry Hyman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In this brief paper we show that the Bantu language Tiania (a variety of Kimeru spoken in Kenya) has a curious gap in the expression of the passive. In the anterior tenses that take an /-eet-ɛ/ inflectional ending, it is not possible to use the otherwise general -w passive suffix (*-eet-w-ɛ). Instead, the inflectional final vowel /-i/ occurs as an anterior-passive “portmanteau”. We decribe and exemplify this gap in the verb system and speculate that *-i was originally a stative that was extended as a “rule of referral” to the passive function it now has with transitive verbs.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:30:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff610ed4b2c24a6a86c9c40336894cdf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0039-3533 2154-428X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:30:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | LibraryPress@UF |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in African Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff610ed4b2c24a6a86c9c40336894cdf2023-12-18T05:16:41ZengLibraryPress@UFStudies in African Linguistics0039-35332154-428X2023-12-0152Supplement 13The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in TianiaLarry Hyman0University of California Berkeley In this brief paper we show that the Bantu language Tiania (a variety of Kimeru spoken in Kenya) has a curious gap in the expression of the passive. In the anterior tenses that take an /-eet-ɛ/ inflectional ending, it is not possible to use the otherwise general -w passive suffix (*-eet-w-ɛ). Instead, the inflectional final vowel /-i/ occurs as an anterior-passive “portmanteau”. We decribe and exemplify this gap in the verb system and speculate that *-i was originally a stative that was extended as a “rule of referral” to the passive function it now has with transitive verbs. https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/133237Kimeruportmanteauanterior pastpassivestative |
| spellingShingle | Larry Hyman The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania Studies in African Linguistics Kimeru portmanteau anterior past passive stative |
| title | The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania |
| title_full | The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania |
| title_fullStr | The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania |
| title_short | The Anterior-Passive Portmanteau Suffix in Tiania |
| title_sort | anterior passive portmanteau suffix in tiania |
| topic | Kimeru portmanteau anterior past passive stative |
| url | https://journals.flvc.org/sal/article/view/133237 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT larryhyman theanteriorpassiveportmanteausuffixintiania AT larryhyman anteriorpassiveportmanteausuffixintiania |