Block 16 · pages 143-158

Chapter 4: Syntax – Noun Phrases, Possessors, Demonstratives, and the Determiner ayo

4.1 Noun phrases and adpositional phrases

4.1.1 Overview

The simplest NPs are independent pronouns. Lexical NPs can include possessor, head, determiner (ayo), demonstrative, numeral, and adjective, in that order. Postpositional phrases place the postposition immediately after the head+demonstrative, with other modifiers following.

4.1.2 Possessor phrases

4.1.2.1 Genitive n

The most common possessor construction uses the genitive postposition n (ən after C), which assimilates to the following consonant. The possessor PP precedes the head (e.g., Mussa n hugu 'Mussa's house'). This construction expresses a wide range of semantic relations. Possessive pronouns also contain the genitive marker (aya-n 'my', ni-n 'your', etc.).

4.1.2.2 Possessive wani/wan-en

This postposition follows the head NP and normally agrees in number with it. It often specifies character or material rather than pure ownership (e.g., i-salsa uuraɣ wan-en 'clothes of gold').

4.1.3 Noun phrases with demonstratives

Six demonstratives exist, none agreeing in number. They follow the noun (except na). All NPs with a demonstrative are definite.

- (a)sénda 'that' (far from deictic center)

- óoda 'this' (near speaker, also cataphoric)

- áyda 'this' (close to addressee)

- adí 'that' (anaphoric, discourse-active)

- o 'this/that' (broad reference, often temporal/spatial)

- na 'this/that' (facing, opposite; precedes the noun)

The neutral noun hé 'thing' and né 'place' combine with most demonstratives.

4.1.4 NPs with ayo 'determiner'

The determiner ayo (pl. ayondo, andayo, etc.) follows the noun and must be followed by another element (typically a demonstrative or a relative clause). NPs with ayo are always topicalized or otherwise salient. ayo can combine with all demonstratives, with wani/wan-en, and with genitive n. It also functions as a pronominal head ('the one that').

Keywords : noun phrase genitive possessive demonstratives determiner ayo definiteness

This grammar point in the works

Passages from the site’s works on this topic, with the page cited: the original text is authoritative.

143 Syntax 4 Syntax This chapter starts with a discussion of the syntax of the noun phrase. This includes NPs with possessors, demonstratives, the determiner aɣo/aɣondo and modifiers like numerals and adjectives. In the next section (4.2) the different MAN markers with their uses are presented. Following that is a section about argument structure, i.e., the different types of verbs (4.3), and a special type of clause treated under copular clauses (4.4). In section 4.5 relativ …

Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 161
… of /k/..................29 2.4.1.6 Optional consonant metathesis ........................29 2.4.1.7 Long consonants at morpheme boundaries......29 2.4.1.7.1 n ‘genitive’ and ag ‘son of’............................30 2.4.1.7.2 Mood-Aspect-Negation markers and unmarked perfectives............................30 2.4.1.8 V-shortening in closed syllables .......................32 2.4.1.9 Vowel contractions ...........................................33 2.4.1.9.1 Verb and pronoun enc …

Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 5
… uctions with the same verb. (3) Salangawey ga mooru. toilet.PLDEF TAM be.distant ‘The toilets are distant.’ 1Abbreviations used BEN benefactive postposition NP noun phrase REF reflexive CAU causative Q question particle TAM tense/aspect marker S DEF definite PASS passive TMP temporal particle GEN genitive PLDEF plural definite 1/2/3s 1st/2nd/3rd person singular LOC locative postposition REC reciprocal 1/2/3p 1st/2nd/3rd person plural N: noun 2Heath 1999:164.

Christiansen & Christiansen (2002), Some verb morphology features of Tadaksahak, or: Berber or Songhay, this is the question, p. 4
… per: ADJZ adjectivizer; ALL allative; BEN benefactive, indirect object; COMPZR complementizer, marker of sa-strategy; COM comitative (‘with, and, toward’); DET determiner; DISC discourse marker ‘current centre of attention’; EXCL exclamation; FOC focus marker; FUT future tense; GEN genitive; IMP imperative; IMPF imperfective aspect; INDEF indefinite; LOC spatiotemporal locative; N noun; NEG negative; PASS passive; PERF perfective aspect; PL plural; QST polar question marker; …

Christiansen & Levinsohn (2003), Relative Clauses in Tadaksahak, p. 3