37.2517, Books: TAM Markers and Absence of TAM Markers in Auxiliary-Main Verb Phrases in Kiswahili: Amidu (2026)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2517. Thu Jul 30 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.2517, Books: TAM Markers and Absence of TAM Markers in Auxiliary-Main Verb Phrases in Kiswahili: Amidu (2026)

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Date: 29-Jul-2026
From: Ulrich Lueders [contact at lincom.eu]
Subject: TAM Markers and Absence of TAM Markers in Auxiliary-Main Verb Phrases in Kiswahili: Amidu (2026)


Title: TAM Markers and Absence of TAM Markers in Auxiliary-Main Verb
Phrases in Kiswahili
Subtitle: A Study of their Patterns and Distributions
Series Title: LINCOM Studies in African Linguistics 101
Publication Year: 2026

Publisher: Lincom GmbH
           https://lincom-shop.eu/
Book URL:
https://lincom-shop.eu/epages/57709feb-b889-4707-b2ce-c666fc88085d.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectPath=%2FShops%2F57709feb-b889-4707-b2ce-c666fc88085d%2FProducts%2F%22ISBN%209783969393017%22

Author(s): Assibi A. Amidu, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology

Hardcover. 17x24 cm. ISBN 9783969393017. LINCOM Studies in African
Linguistics 101. 498pp. 2026. EUR 176.00.

Abstract:

This book introduces the tense-aspect-mood (TAM) markers of Kiswahili
and reveals how some TAM markers appear in both auxiliary and main
verbs of the same auxiliary-main verb phrase or serial predicate
construction (SPC), thus contradicting some of the assumptions and
restrictions found in traditional and modern studies. Next, the book
reveals a peculiarity of negative inflection in relativized
auxiliary-main verb phrases or SPCs that contain in-verb relative
markers. Firstly, a relativized verb occurs at V1, and its negative
pattern is markedly distinct from the negative pattern of its
non-relativized auxiliary-main verb phrase or SPC counterpart/s,
revealing a diversity of negative patterns not hitherto referred to in
the literature. Secondly, when a relativized auxiliary verb at V1 is
negated in lieu of another verb in its sequence of verbs, it often
signals a choice of negative domain not described in the literature.
The book also illustrates how TAM markers interact with different
auxiliary-main verb phrases or SPCs. Also, it draws attention to
auxiliary-main verb phrases or SPCs that are characterized by absence
of TAM markers, also called non-TAM markers (see Amidu 2025), before
revealing that elements of both types combine to form other
auxiliary-main verb phrases. The book brings to linguists, inter alia,
new exciting information and evidence about TAM markers, absence of
TAM markers, and about relativized verbs in auxiliary-main verb
phrases or SPCs in Kiswahili.

Linguistic Field(s): Morphology

Subject Language(s): Swahili (individual language) (swh, swah1253)

Written In: English (eng, stan1293)



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