News from the field
Ditransitive constructions in Akebu
This paper contributes to the typology of ditransitive constructions. Akebu (Kwa, Ghana-Togo mountain, West
Africa) has four strategies of alignment of ditransitive verbs, if both theme and recipient objects are expressed: a neutral
strategy, a possessive-like strategy, a strategy with a pronominal reprise and a ‘take’ serial verb construction strategy. The
possessive-like strategy that is most standard in Akebu is rare in a cross-linguistic perspective and has not been attested in
other Kwa languages. The factors that license a certain strategy are person, number and noun class of the theme and recipient and
the internal structure of the theme noun phrase.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Cross-linguistic and Kwa background
- 2.1Ditransitive constructions in Kwa
- 2.2Possessive-like ditransitive constructions
- 3.Overview of Akebu ditransitives
- 3.1The lexical class of ditransitive verbs
- 3.2Alignment strategies of ditransitive verbs
- 3.3Alternative alignment and omission of arguments
- 4.Neutral strategy
- 5.Possessive-like strategy
- 6.Strategy with a pronominal reprise
- 7.Strategy with a ‘take’ serial verb construction
- 8.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Abbreviations
-
References
References (65)
References
Aboh, Enoch Oladé. 1998. Focus constructions and the focus criterion in Gungbe. Linguistique africaine 201. 5–50.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Adjeoda, Dzifa. 2008. Eléments de morphosyntaxe du kebu, langue dite résiduelle du Togo. Université de Lomé, maîtrise.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Akrofi Ansah, Mercy. 2010. Focused constituent interrogatives in Lɛtɛ (Larteh). Nordic Journal of African Studies 19(2). 98–107.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Amoua, Kwamivi. 2011. Le système nominal du kebu. Université de Lomé: maîtrise.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Atoyebi, Joseph, Martin Haspelmath & Andrej Malchukov. 2010. Ditransitive constructions in Yorùbá. In Andrej Malchukov, Martin Haspelmath & Bernard Comrie (eds.), Studies in ditransitive constructions, 145–165. Berlin – New York: Mouton de Gruyter. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Blench, Roger. 2009. Do the Ghana-Togo mountain languages constitute a genetic group? The Journal of West African Languages 36(1/2). 19–36.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bobuafor, Mercy. 2013. A grammar of Tafi. Utrecht: LOT.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Conti, Carmen. 2008. Receptores y beneficiarios: Estudio tipológico de la ditransitividad. München: Lincom Europa.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Creissels, Denis. 1979. Les constructions dites “possessives”, étude de linguistique générale et de typologie linguistique. Université Paris 41: thèse d’état.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Creissels, Denis & Jérémie Kouadio N’Guessan. 1977. Description phonologique et grammaticale d’un parler baoulé. Abidjan: Institut de Linguistique Appliquée.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Creissels, Denis & Jérémie Kouadio. 2010. Ditransitive constructions in Baule. In Andrej Malchukov, Martin Haspelmath & Bernard Comrie (eds.), Studies in ditransitive constructions, 166–189. Berlin – New York: Mouton de Gruyter. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Croft, William. 1985. Indirect object “lowering”. In Proceedings of the 11th annual meeting of the Berkeley Linguistic Society, 39–51. Berkeley: BLS.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Djitovi, Afi. 2003. English and Akebu phonologies: A comparative analysis. Université de Lomé: maîtrise.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dorvlo, Kofi. 2008. A grammar of Logba (Ikpana). Utrecht: LOT.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dryer, Matthew S. 1986. Primary objects, secondary objects, and antidative. Language 621. 808–845. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dryer, Matthew S. 2007. Clause types. In Timothy Shopen (ed.), Language typology and syntactic description, 2nd ed., vol. 21, 224–275. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Eberhard, David M., Gary F. Simons & Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2019. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 22nd ed. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: [URL]
Essegbey, James. 1999. Inherent complement verbs revisited: towards an understanding of argument structure in Ewe. Leiden University: PhD dissertation.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Essegbey, James. 2010. Inherent complement verbs and the basic double object construction in Gbe. In Enoch O. Aboh & James Essegbey (eds.), Topics in Kwa syntax, 177–193. Dordrecht: Springer. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fedotov, Maxim. 2016. Adnominal predicative possessive construction and pragmatically “flexible” noun phrases in Gban. Issledovanija po jazykam Afriki [Studies on African languages] 61. 320–345.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fiedler, Ines. 1998. Fokus im Aja. In Ines Fiedler, Catherine Griefenow-Mewis & Brigitte Reineke (eds.), Afrikanische Sprachen im Brennpunkt der Forschung, 75–89. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gblem, Honorine Massanvi. 1995. Description systematique de l’igo. Université de Grenoble III1: thèse de doctorat.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gblem-Poidi, Honorine Massanvi & Laré Kantchoa. 2012. Les langues du Togo: État de la recherche et perspectives. Paris: L’Harmattan.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Harley, Matthew W. 2009. Focus constructions in Tuwuli. Journal of West African Languages 36(1–2). 75–90.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Haspelmath, Martin. 2005. Argument marking in ditransitive alignment types. Linguistic Discovery 3(1). 1–21. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Haspelmath, Martin. 2015a. Transitivity prominence. In Andrej L. Malchukov & Bernard Comrie (eds.), Valency classes in the world’s languages: A comparative handbook, vol. 11, 131–147. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Haspelmath, Martin. 2015b. Ditransitive constructions. Annual Review of Linguistics 11. 19–41. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Heine, Bernd. 1968. Die Verbreitung und Gliederung der Togorestsprachen. Köln: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Heine, Bernd & Christa König. 2010. On the linear order of ditransitive objects. Language Sciences 32 (1). 87–131. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hérault, Georges. 1978. Éléments de grammaire adioukrou. Université de Paris VII1: thèse de doctorat.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kazama, Shinjiro. 2012. Designative case in Tungusic languages. In Andrej L. Malchukov & Lindsay J. Whaley (eds.), Recent advances in Tungusic linguistics, 123–154. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Khanina, Olesya & Andrey Shluinsky. A rare type of benefactive construction: Evidence from Enets. Linguistics 52(6). 1391–1431. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Kittilä, Seppo. 2006b. The anomaly of the verb ‘give’ explained by its high (formal and semantic) transitivity. Linguistics 44(3). 569–612. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Koffi, Yao. 2010. Pronouns in Akebu. ERIC Online submission ED510110. [URL]
Kouadio N’Guessan, Jérémie. 1996. Description systematique de l’attie de Memni, vol. 11. Université de Grenoble III1: thèse de doctorat.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lefebvre, Claire. 1994. New facts from Fongbe on the double object constructions. Lingua 94(2–3). 69–123. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lord, Carol. 1982. The development of object markers in serial verb languages. In Paul J. Hopper & Sandra A. Thompson (eds.), Studies in transitivity, 277–300. New York: Academic Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
M’boma, Komlavi Malanbo. 2014. Kekpèe kè léh Biblae Kéhnit yè loh otuèlêe yorrot-yorrot yè. Les prémices de la Sainte Bible en akébou. [No place of publication.]![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Makeeva, Nadezhda. 2016. Fonotaktika jazyka akebu [Phonotactics of Akebu]. In Ekaterina Devjatkina et al. (eds.), Problemy jazyka, 199–211. Moscow: Institut jazykoznanija RAN.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Makeeva, Nadezhda. 2018. Prilagatel’nye i kvalitativnnye glagoly v jazyke akebu [Adjectives and qualitative verbs in Akebu]. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies 10(1). 14–31. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Makeeva, Nadezhda, & Andrey Shluinsky. 2017. Bitranzitivnaja konstrukcija v jazyke akebu [A ditransitive construction in Akebu]. In Ekaterina A. Lyutikova & Anton V. Cimmerling (eds.), Tipologija morfosintaksičeskix parametrov 41, 161–176. Moscow: Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Makeeva, Nadezhda, & Andrey Shluinsky. 2018. Noun classes and class agreement in Akebu. Journal of West African Languages 45(1). 1–26.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Malchukov, Andrej. 2018. Typological remarks on “internal” beneficiaries and the benefactive-possessive convergence. In Agnes Korn & Andrej Malchukov (eds.). Ditransitive constructions in a typological perspective, 13–25. Wiesbaden: Reichert.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Malchukov, Andrej, Martin Haspelmath & Bernard Comrie. 2010. Ditransitive constructions: A typological overview. In Andrej Malchukov, Martin Haspelmath & Bernard Comrie (eds.), Studies in ditransitive constructions, 1–64. Berlin – New York: Mouton de Gruyter. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Margetts, Anna & Peter Austin. 2007. Three-participant events in the languages of the world: towards a crosslinguistic typology. Linguistics 45(3). 393–451. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Morley, Eric A. 2010. A grammar of Ajagbe. München: Lincom.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Muraviev, Nikita. 2015. O nekotoryx služebnyx edinicax s neopredelennoj kategorial’noj prinadležnost’ju v jazyke akebu [Some grammatical elements of unspecified categories in Akebu]. Issledovanija po jazykam Afriki [Studies on African languages] 51. 201–221. Moscow: Ključ-S.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Muraviev, Nikita. 2016. Strategii kodirovanija finitnyx sentencial’nyx aktantov v jazyke akebu [Strategies of finite sentential complements encoding in Akebu]. Issledovanija po jazykam Afriki [Studies on African languages] 61. 195–210. Moscow: Ključ-S.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Osam, Emmanuel Kweku. 1994. Aspects of Akan grammar: A functional perspective. University of Oregon, Eugene: PhD dissertation.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Osam, Emmanuel Kweku. 1996. The object relation in Akan. Afrika und Übersee 791. 57–83.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Osam, Emmanuel Kweku. 2000. The status of the indirect object in Akan. Journal of Asian and African Studies 591. 171–177.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Say, Sergey. 2014. Bivalent verb classes in the languages of Europe. Language Dynamics and Change 4(1). 116–166. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Shluinsky, Andrey. 2008. Bitranzitivnye glagoly v jazykax kva i sintaksičeskij status ix ob”ektov (na materialie ève i akan) [Ditransitive verbs in Kwa and syntactic status of their objects (based on Ewe and Akan)]. In Viktor Vinogradov & Victor Prokhomovsky (eds.), Issledovanija po jazykam Afriki 21, 90–137. Moscow: Institut jazykoznanija RAN.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Shluinsky, Andrey. 2012. Ob”ekty v bitranzitivnoj konstrukcii v jazykax kva: vnutrigenetičeckoe sopostavlenie [Objects in Kwa ditransitive construction: an intragenetic comparison]. Afrikanskij sbornik 2011. 300–318. St. Petersburg: Lema.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Shluinsky, Andrey. 2017. An intragenetic typology of Kwa serial verb constructions. Linguistic Typology 21(2). 333–385. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Song, Jae Jung. 1997. The history of Micronesian possessive classifiers and benefactive marking in Oceanic languages. Oceanic Linguistics 36(1). 29–64. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sossoukpe, Jacques. 2017. Effet voisant du ton bas flottant sur les obstruantes en akebou. In Firmin Ahoua and Benjamin Ohi Elugbe (eds.), Typologie et documentation des langues en Afrique de l’Ouest. Les actes du 27eme Congrès de la société de linguistique de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (SLAO), 139–146. Paris: L’Harmattan.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stewart, John M. 1963. Some restrictions on objects in Twi. Journal of West African Languages 2(2). 145–149.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stewart, John. 1989. Kwa. In John Bendor-Samuel (ed.), The Niger-Congo languages, 217–245. Lanham: University press of America.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Storch, Anne, and Yao Koffi. 2000. Noun classes and consonant alternation in Akebu (Kə̀gbə̀rə̄kə́). In Antje Meissner & Anne Storch (eds.), Frankfurter Afrikanistische Blätter 121. Nominal classification in African languages, 79–98. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Leynseele, Hélène van. 1975. Restrictions on serial verbs in Anyi. Journal of West African Languages 10(2). 189–218.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wolf, Franz. 1907. Grammatik des Kögbörikö (Togo). Anthropos 21. 422–437, 795–820.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (1)
Cited by one other publication
Shluinsky, Andrey
2023.
Adpositions and adpositional relator nouns in Akebu.
Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 44:1
► pp. 77 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 5 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.