SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Linguistics

CONTRIBUTORS:

OKOYE, A.N;
Mmadike, B;

ABSTRACT:

The verb as a lexical category has interested grammarians from early linguistic history to the
present period. However, this category is yet to be investigated in most African languages. This
is the case with Etulo, a language spoken by a minority group in Benue State, Nigeria. The study
examines the verb in Etulo with the aim of accounting for its structure. It further employs the
aktionsart classification in grouping Etulo verbs into classes. It also accounts for transitivity in
Etulo verbs through its logical structures. In addition, semantic classes of Etulo verbs are
examined to ascertain co-occurrence restriction between verbs and their object complements.
Data for this study were drawn from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were
collected from native speakers of Etulo resident in Adi, Buruku Local Government Area of
Benue State, Nigeria using the Leipzig valence questionnaire manual and the indirect
grammaticality judgment, where the informants were asked preset questions that necessitated the
use of targeted verbs in their responses. The translated Etulo version of the synoptic gospel as
recorded by St Luke and the monograph on reading and writing Etulo were used as secondary
sources of data. The study adopts a descriptive approach in the analysis of the collected data. The
theoretical approach adopted is the Role and Reference Grammar analysis. The study discovers
that morphologically, Etulo verbs fall into simple and compound verbs. Based on the inherent
properties of the verb, six classes of verbs are distinguished, namely: state, activity, achievement,
accomplishment, semelfactive and active accomplishment verbs. Complete argument alternation
is observed in predicates of involuntary action while partial alternation exists in ergative verbs.
Tense distinction is not marked on the verb but rather achieved through distinct words. In
addition, the study confirms co-occurrence restrictions between verbs and their object
complements from the semantic classes of verbs examined. A Role and Reference Grammar
analysis of the verbs reveals the arguments of transitive verbs as well as the inherent properties
of verb classes. Apart from revealing interesting features of the Etulo verb from the perspective
of the knowledge the native speaker has about the meaning of the verb, the study situates the
language within the context of languages in which the verbs have been investigated.