Block 23 · pages 215-225

Chapter 4: Copular Clauses – Equational, Presentative, Existential, Locational, and Possessive Predications

4.4 Copular Clauses

4.4.1 Equational clauses and 'be', 'become', 'not be'

Positive unfocused equational predication ('X is a teacher') has no verb or grammatical morpheme (e.g., t-a-buɣán-t feejí ʒen-ʒen-án 'tabuɣant is an old sheep'). Negation uses wiji 'is not' (e.g., aɣa-n báarar íizace wiji t-á-ŋgud 'my child is a boy, not a girl'). The verb kas 'be/become' is used when one element is in focus or for past time (e.g., igán ṭaamú aɣa-kkás? 'am I a slave?').

4.4.2 Presentative expressions

Proximal presentatives: né (sg), náani / níina (pl) '...is/are here'. Distal: nóo-se (sg), níi-se (pl) '...is/are there'. These consist of a locative element ne/no plus a 3rd person pronoun and possibly se. The distal form uses no, which also appears as a temporal/spatial deictic 'there'.

4.4.3 Existential predications

Existential 'there is' is expressed with báara 'be/exist' (e.g., assakúr a-báara 'there is sugar'). Negation uses ʃí 'not be' (e.g., assakúr a-ʃʃí 'there is no sugar'). Both can be used without overt MAN marking in present/future contexts. The Tamasheq loan wə́rtilla 'there is not' precedes the negated noun (e.g., wə́rtilla alxér 'there is no peace').

4.4.4 Locational predications

Location is expressed with báara 'be in', keedí 'be high on', and keení 'lie'. These take a nominal direct object (unmarked), a locative adverbial, or a PP with daw. keení requires ka (e.g., ceedí á-f-keeni ganda ka 'the spoon lies on the ground'). Absence is expressed with ʃí (e.g., ary-én i-ʃʃí-a 'there is no water in it'). 'Lose' is expressed as ʃí X ka ('not exist in X').

4.4.5 Possessive predication

Ownership is expressed with máy 'have' (e.g., á-mmay haw-yén 'he owns cows'). Negation uses sə́-mmay. Topicalized possessum uses wani (e.g., huurú asénda alfáqi wáni 'that fire is the teacher's'). máy also expresses attributive qualities (e.g., á-mmay táyta 'he has wisdom' = he is intelligent).

Keywords : copular clauses equational presentative existential locational possessive báara ʃí máy