"The Verb Phrase in Kihema" investigates a wide range of three different constructions,
which have all been termed 'Grammatical Function Changing Processes' (GFCP), by
Linguists, using data from Kihema (a Bantu language spoken in the northeastern district
of Ituru). It focuses on those GFCPs, namely the causative, the applicative and the
passive.
On the one hand, Kihema causative constructions are the result of extending the verb by
means of a derivational affix. This process has an impact on the argument structure of the
verb. On the other hand, Kihema applicative constructions are the outcome of moving the
preposition out of a prepositional phrase and incorporating it in the verb that governs it.
Lastly, Kihema passive constructions result from the base verb losing its ability to assign
accusative case and its failure to assign an external thematic role. Consequently, in
passives, the former direct object moves to the syntactic subject position, where it
receives nominative case. The thematic subject can only be realized inside a prepositional
phrase.
In these constructions, the verb bears morphemes such as -is- (for causatives), -ir- (for
applicatives), and -w- (for passives). Causative and applicative morphemes have the
ability to turn an intransitive verb into a transitive verb and a transitive verb into a
ditransitive verb.
The study provides data of different objects that appear with the verb in the Kihema verb
phrase. It examines the syntactic properties exhibited by those objects. As a result,
Kihema is classified as a 'symmetrical' language, since all postverbal objects in causative
and applicative constructions exhibit direct object properties. However, the basic object
in locative applicatives has some restrictions.
In this research, I analyze causatives, applicatives and passives in Kihema within the
framework of the Principles-and-Parameters theory (Chomsky, 1981; 1986a, 1986b) in
particular, the following two theories have proven useful in my study: (i) Baker's (1988)
analysis of causatives in terms of verb incorporation and his treatment of applicatives as
preposition incorporation and (ii) Jaeggli's (1986) and Baker, Johnson and Roberts'
(1989) theories of the passive. My study shows how these theories account for the three
Kihema Grammatical Function Changing Processes. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/9034 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Mugisa, John Mwesigwa. |
| Contributors | Zeller, Jochen Klaus. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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