[Lingtyp] Evaluative morphology expressing

[Wal, G.J. van der (Jenneke)]

Dear Francesca,

Kirundi (Bantu, Burundi) in-situ predicate doubling has prototypicality as one of the interpretations. You use the inflected verb followed by a nomino-verbal form, either a derived noun class 14 with prefix bu- or with formative nya- preciding the infinitive. The following examples and eplanation come from a chapter that is to be published, written by Ernest Nshemezimana and myself:


(1)          Heba ivyaha buhebé.
          ø-héb-a                    i-bi-áaha      bu-héb-e
          2sg.sm-leave-imp    aug-8-sin    14-leave-sbjv
          ‘Stop sinning for real.’


(2)          Ushaaka ngende bugende?
          u-shaak-a              n-gend-e               bu-gend-e
          2sg.sm-want-fv    1sg.sm-go-sbjv     14-go-sbjv
          ‘You want me to go?’


(3)          Uzoozé tubaané nya kubáana.

          u-zoo-əz-e                       tu-báan-e                              nya      ku-báana

          2sg.sm-fut-come-sbjv  1pl.sm-live.together-sbjv    very     15-live.together

          ‘Come, we should live together properly.’

          ‘We should be living-together living-together.’

“Both constructions with bu‑ and nya bring about a reading of ‘really’, ‘properly’, referring to a prototype (as in the English reduplication ‘I want a DRINK-drink’, see Ghomeshi et al. 2004), but also touching on truth focus and unexpectedness. The precise interpretations and use of this and the other predicate doubling constructions remain for future investigations.”

Best wishes,
Jenneke

--
Dr G.J. van der Wal | she/her
Senior Lecturer at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics<https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/leiden-university-centre-for-linguistics>
Office: Reuvensplaats 4, room 1.25
https://jennekevanderwal.com/
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