‘A Minimalist Syntax of Yoruba Splitting Verbs
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Date
2016
Authors
Ilọri, J.F.
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Department of Linguistics and African Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Abstract
While the literature on Yoruba splitting verbs affirms that every verb in the group
splits to sandwich its object, very little is known about how the process really comes
by. This paper investigates this group of verbs in Yoruba looking especially at their
syntactic frame and features in both causative and inchoative constructions.
Employing theoretical insights from minimalist grammar with data evidence from
Standard and Central Yoruba dialects, it argues that such verbs are base generated in
the core VP before their first halves are raised to lexicalize the functional light v
within the outer VP shell. The paper concludes that Yoruba splitting verbs are
complex lexemes entered in the lexicon as single units of word items before they get
selected and merged to their nominal c-selected complement in the syntax.
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Citation
Ilori, J. F. 2016. ‘A Minimalist Syntax of Yoruba Splitting Verbs’,Ifè̩ Journal of Languages and Literatures, Vol. 2 No 1 pages 6-19. Department of Linguistics and African Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ifẹ.