Difference between revisions of "Sentence-Final Particles"
| (One intermediate revision by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
==== Negation ==== | ==== Negation ==== | ||
Negation in Igala is an example of a Sentence-Final Particle. The negational morpheme ''n'' appears only sentence-finally in Igala. The negational morpheme cannot refer solely to an embedded sentence. See: [[Negation]] | |||
''Example of Negation:'' | ''Example of Negation:'' | ||
(1) | '''(1)''' | ||
{| {{table}} | {| {{table}} | ||
| Line 28: | Line 29: | ||
==== Questions ==== | ==== Questions ==== | ||
''Final Lengthening'' | '''Final Lengthening''' | ||
The lengthening of a sentence final segment seems to be related to question formation in Igala. Most commonly, the final | The lengthening of a sentence final segment seems to be related to question formation in Igala. Most commonly, the final | ||
| Line 49: | Line 50: | ||
|} | |} | ||
(2) Sentence with final lengthening. | '''(2) Sentence with final lengthening.''' | ||
{| {{table}} | {| {{table}} | ||
Latest revision as of 13:23, 3 March 2022
There appear to be ordering restrictions for Sentence-Final Particles in Igala based on sentence meaning. As described in Simpson, sentence final particles are “phonologically small elements, most frequently monosyllabic, which typically (and in most instances must) occur in final position.” Prior studies of the structural position of SFPs in Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Niger-Congo languages have observed SFPs are head-final elements sentence-finally in otherwise head-initial languages (Paul). This observation challenges the Final-over-Final constraint, first proposed by Holmberg in the year 2000. The FOFC states that a head-initial XP cannot be dominated by a head-final VP.
Negation
Negation in Igala is an example of a Sentence-Final Particle. The negational morpheme n appears only sentence-finally in Igala. The negational morpheme cannot refer solely to an embedded sentence. See: Negation
Example of Negation:
(1)
| ű | h(i) | ɔ̀dʒ(e) | àbátʃà | ŋ̌ | |
| 1SG | cook | morsel | cassava | NEG | |
| ‘I didn't cook mashed cassava’ (D:734). | |||||
Questions
Final Lengthening
The lengthening of a sentence final segment seems to be related to question formation in Igala. Most commonly, the final segment is either a vowel or the negational morpheme n.
(1) Sentence with out final lengthening.
| ɛ̄ | dʒ(ɛ) | ɔ̄dā | ɔ̀nálɛ́ |
| 2SG | eat | pear | yesterday |
| ‘You ate a pear yesterday.' | |||
(2) Sentence with final lengthening.
| ɛ̄ | dʒ(ɛ) | ɔ̄dā | ɔ̀nálɛ́ | : |
| 2SG | eat | pear | yesterday | ? |
| ‘Did you eat a pear yesterday?' | ||||