Categorial Status of Yoruba Attributive Modifiers
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Date
2016
Authors
Ilọri, J.F.
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Abstract
This paper re-examines claims in the literature that Yoruba
attributive words such as dúdú black’, pupa ‘red’, funfun ‘white’,
etc., which function as modifiers of N, are adjectives. It provides
data and analytic evidence to show that the items have the
morphology and syntax of nominals. The fact that the items in
question have the syntactic distribution and morphology of nouns;
semantically refer to attributive features such as colour, size,
quantity, etc. of concrete nouns; and sometimes function as verbs
with the same phonetic forms informs the conclusion that they are
not canonic adjectives but derived nouns converted to verbs and
possibly adjectives, respectively, via a N→V/A conversion
process. It equally argues that forms like burúkú ‘bad’ and wé ̣é ̣ré ̣
‘small (-bits)’are morpho-syntactically fused compounds
consisting of verb + degree adverb.
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Citation
Ilori, J. F. 2016.‘Categorial Status of Yoruba Attributive Modifiers’, Ihafa: A Journal of African Studies Volume 8, No.2, pages 124-152.Department of Linguistics African and Asian Studies, University of Lagos.