TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative constructions in Tafi
AU - Bobuafor, Mercy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - This paper describes the constructions and strategies available in Tafi, a KA-Ghana-Togo-Mountain language, for indicating relations of similarity, equality or superiority among two or more entities or events with respect to a property. Drawing on typological studies of comparison, I demonstrate that Tafi's dedicated comparative constructions, that is, equivalents of English sentences like The pig is more dirty than the duck involve serial verb construction (SVC) subtypes. For superiority, the parameter (or property, 'dirty') of the comparison is expressed by the V1 in the SVC while V2 is the 'exceed' verb. For equality, the parameter is the V1 and the V2 is the 'be.equal' verb. The V2s in these SVCs co-lexicalise both the mark (e.g. 'than') and index (e.g. 'more') of the comparison. The paper discusses the contact-driven influences from areal grammar and from Ewe, the dominant lingua franca for Tafi speakers, on the linguistic expression of comparison. The 'exceed' comparative structure found in African languages has been attributed to areal grammaticalisation. I further argue that the operator verb ss 'be.equal' in the Tafi equality SVC is borrowed from Ewe. Similarity constructions involve the semblative nâsí. Similarity is also signalled through the verb yi 'resemble'. I also explore the ordinal verb bhusó 'do.first' as a lexical comparative. Furthermore, I argue that Tafi, like many other Kwa languages, does not formally code a superlative. Superlative readings are inferred from the context and from non-dedicated linguistic indicators such as intensifiers.
AB - This paper describes the constructions and strategies available in Tafi, a KA-Ghana-Togo-Mountain language, for indicating relations of similarity, equality or superiority among two or more entities or events with respect to a property. Drawing on typological studies of comparison, I demonstrate that Tafi's dedicated comparative constructions, that is, equivalents of English sentences like The pig is more dirty than the duck involve serial verb construction (SVC) subtypes. For superiority, the parameter (or property, 'dirty') of the comparison is expressed by the V1 in the SVC while V2 is the 'exceed' verb. For equality, the parameter is the V1 and the V2 is the 'be.equal' verb. The V2s in these SVCs co-lexicalise both the mark (e.g. 'than') and index (e.g. 'more') of the comparison. The paper discusses the contact-driven influences from areal grammar and from Ewe, the dominant lingua franca for Tafi speakers, on the linguistic expression of comparison. The 'exceed' comparative structure found in African languages has been attributed to areal grammaticalisation. I further argue that the operator verb ss 'be.equal' in the Tafi equality SVC is borrowed from Ewe. Similarity constructions involve the semblative nâsí. Similarity is also signalled through the verb yi 'resemble'. I also explore the ordinal verb bhusó 'do.first' as a lexical comparative. Furthermore, I argue that Tafi, like many other Kwa languages, does not formally code a superlative. Superlative readings are inferred from the context and from non-dedicated linguistic indicators such as intensifiers.
KW - 'exceed' comparatives
KW - Tafi (tcd)
KW - equality
KW - inferred superlatives
KW - similarity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126861452&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/jall-2022-2025
DO - 10.1515/jall-2022-2025
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85126861452
SN - 0167-6164
VL - 42
SP - 163
EP - 190
JO - Journal of African Languages and Linguistics
JF - Journal of African Languages and Linguistics
IS - 2
ER -