Serialising languages: Satellite-framed, verb-framed or neither
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v2i1.34Keywords:
serial verb constructions, translational motion, verb-framed, satellite-framed, equipollently-framedAbstract
The diversity in the coding of the core schema of motion, i.e., Path, has led to a traditional typology of languages into verb-framed and satellite-framed languages. In the former Path is encoded in verbs and in the latter it is encoded in non-verb elements that function as sisters to co-event expressing verbs such as manner verbs. Verb serializing languages pose a challenge to this typology as they express Path as well as the Co-event of manner in finite verbs that together function as a single predicate in translational motion clause. We argue that these languages do not fit in the typology and constitute a type of their own. We draw on data from Akan and Frog story narrations in Ewe, a Kwa language, and Sranan, a Caribbean Creole with Gbe substrate, to show that in terms of discourse properties verb serializing languages behave like Verb-framed with respect to some properties and like Satellite-framed languages in terms of others. This study fed into the revision of the typology and such languages are now said to be equipollently-framed languagesReferences
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Lambert-Brétière, Renée, 2009. Serialising languages as satellite-framed: the case of Fon. Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics 7.1-29
Mayer, Mercer, 1969. Frog, where are you? New York: Dial Press.
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Schaefer, Ronald P., 1986. Lexicalising directional and nondirectional motion in Emai. Studies in African Linguistics 17.2: 177-198.
Schaefer, Ronald P. and Richard Gaines, 1997. Toward a typology of directional motion for African languages. Studies in African Linguistics 26.2: 193-220.
Slobin, Dan I., 2006. What makes manner of motion salient? Explorations in linguistic typology, discourse and cognition. In Maya Hickmann & Stéphane Robert (eds), Space in Language: Linguistic Systems and Cognitive Categories pp. 60-81. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan I., 2004. The many ways to search for a frog. Linguistic typology and the expression of motion events. In: Sven Strömqvist & Ludo Verhoeven (eds) Relating events in narrative: Typological and contextual perspectives. 219-257. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Slobin, Dan I., 2000. Verbalised events: a dynamic approach to linguistic relativity and determinism. In S. Niemeier and R. Dirven (eds.), Evidence for Linguistic Relativity pp. 107-138. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan I., 1997. Mind, code and text. In Joan Bybee, John Haiman, and Sandra A. Thompson, (eds.) Essays on Language Function and Language Type (Dedicated to T. Givón), pp. 437-467. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan and Nina Hoiting, 1994. Reference to movement in spoken and signed languages: typological considerations. Proceedings of the Berkeley Linguistics Society 20: 487-505.
Talmy, Leonard, 2009. Main verb properties and equipollent framing. In Guo, Jiansheng et al. (eds), Crosslinguistic Approaches to the Psychology of Language. Research in the tradition of Dan Isaac Slobin. Pp. 389-402. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Talmy, Leonard, 2007. Lexical typologies. In Timothy A. Shopen (ed.) Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Volume 3 Grammatical categories and the lexicon, 2nd edn. Pp. 66-168. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Talmy, Leonard, 2000. Towards a Cognitive Semantics. 2 vols. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Talmy, Leonard, 1985. Lexicalization patterns. In Timothy A. Shopen (ed.) Language Typology and Syntactic Description Volume 3 pp. 57-149. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Van Putten, Saskia, 2009. Talking about motion in Avatime. Research Masters thesis, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics
Van Putten, Saskia, in press. Motion in serialising languages revisited: the case of Avatime. Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung (Language Typology and Universals).
Williamson, Kay and Roger Blench, 2000. Niger-Congo. In Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (eds.) African Languages: an Introduction pp. 11-42. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Zlatev, Jordan and Peerapat Yangklang, 2004. A third way to travel: the place of Thai in the motion event typology. In Sven Strömqvist and Ludo Verhoeven (eds.) Relating Events in Narrative: Typological and Contextual Perspectives pp. 159-190. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Ansre, Gilbert, 1966. The verbid – a caveat to “serial verbs. Journal of West African Languages 3.1: 29-32.
Bamgboṣe, Ayọ, 1982. Issues in the analysis of serial verb constructions. Journal of West African Languages 12.1: 3-21.
Bendor-Samuel, John (ed.) 1989. The Niger-Congo Languages. Lanham: University Press of America.
Bodomo, Adams, 1997. Paths and pathfinders: exploring the syntax and semantics of
complex verbal predicates in Dagaare and other languages. PhD dissertation, NTNU. Trondheim.
Croft, William, Jóhana Barðal, Willem Hollmann, Violeta Sotirova and Chiaki Taoka, 2010. Revising Talmy’s typological classification of complex events. In Hans C. Boas (ed.) Contrastive Construction Grammar pp. 201-236. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Essegbey, James, 1999. Inherent complement verbs in Ewe: towards an account of argument structure construction in Ewe. PhD dissertation. Leiden University.
Lambert-Brétière, Renée, 2009. Serialising languages as satellite-framed: the case of Fon. Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics 7.1-29
Mayer, Mercer, 1969. Frog, where are you? New York: Dial Press.
Mietzner, Angelika and Yvonne Treis (eds.) 2010. Encoding motion: case studies from Africa. Annual Publications in African Linguistics (APAL) Volume 5 (Special issue). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
Schaefer, Ronald P., 1986. Lexicalising directional and nondirectional motion in Emai. Studies in African Linguistics 17.2: 177-198.
Schaefer, Ronald P. and Richard Gaines, 1997. Toward a typology of directional motion for African languages. Studies in African Linguistics 26.2: 193-220.
Slobin, Dan I., 2006. What makes manner of motion salient? Explorations in linguistic typology, discourse and cognition. In Maya Hickmann & Stéphane Robert (eds), Space in Language: Linguistic Systems and Cognitive Categories pp. 60-81. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan I., 2004. The many ways to search for a frog. Linguistic typology and the expression of motion events. In: Sven Strömqvist & Ludo Verhoeven (eds) Relating events in narrative: Typological and contextual perspectives. 219-257. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Slobin, Dan I., 2000. Verbalised events: a dynamic approach to linguistic relativity and determinism. In S. Niemeier and R. Dirven (eds.), Evidence for Linguistic Relativity pp. 107-138. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan I., 1997. Mind, code and text. In Joan Bybee, John Haiman, and Sandra A. Thompson, (eds.) Essays on Language Function and Language Type (Dedicated to T. Givón), pp. 437-467. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slobin, Dan and Nina Hoiting, 1994. Reference to movement in spoken and signed languages: typological considerations. Proceedings of the Berkeley Linguistics Society 20: 487-505.
Talmy, Leonard, 2009. Main verb properties and equipollent framing. In Guo, Jiansheng et al. (eds), Crosslinguistic Approaches to the Psychology of Language. Research in the tradition of Dan Isaac Slobin. Pp. 389-402. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Talmy, Leonard, 2007. Lexical typologies. In Timothy A. Shopen (ed.) Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Volume 3 Grammatical categories and the lexicon, 2nd edn. Pp. 66-168. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Talmy, Leonard, 2000. Towards a Cognitive Semantics. 2 vols. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Talmy, Leonard, 1985. Lexicalization patterns. In Timothy A. Shopen (ed.) Language Typology and Syntactic Description Volume 3 pp. 57-149. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Van Putten, Saskia, 2009. Talking about motion in Avatime. Research Masters thesis, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics
Van Putten, Saskia, in press. Motion in serialising languages revisited: the case of Avatime. Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung (Language Typology and Universals).
Williamson, Kay and Roger Blench, 2000. Niger-Congo. In Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (eds.) African Languages: an Introduction pp. 11-42. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Zlatev, Jordan and Peerapat Yangklang, 2004. A third way to travel: the place of Thai in the motion event typology. In Sven Strömqvist and Ludo Verhoeven (eds.) Relating Events in Narrative: Typological and Contextual Perspectives pp. 159-190. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
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Published
07/01/2013
How to Cite
Ameka, F. K., & Essegbey, J. (2013). Serialising languages: Satellite-framed, verb-framed or neither. Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 2(1), 19–38. https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v2i1.34
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