Swahili Possessive Constructions

@cite{stassen-2009} @cite{nichols-1986} @cite{heine-1997}

Swahili (Bantu, Niger-Congo) derives its primary have-construction from the Companion Schema ("X is with Y" → "X has Y"). The possessive marker -na is a fusion of the copula -wa 'be' and the comitative preposition na 'with'. In the present tense unmarked form, the copula is deleted, leaving subject prefix + na as an unanalyzable possessive marker.

Swahili also has locative noun classes 16 (pa-), 17 (ku-), and 18 (mu-) that are relevant to possession via the Location Schema, and an Equation Schema belong-construction using the associative -a.

PossessionProfile bundle for Swahili (ISO swh), per the project's "per-language data flows through Fragments" rule. Substrate types live in Linglib/Typology/Possession.lean. Heine 1997 prediction verification for Swahili lives in Phenomena/Possession/Studies/Heine1997.lean. The PossessionProfile.adnominalStrategy = .headMarking here flattens the @cite{nichols-1986} categorisation; Swahili's Bantu noun-class concord is strictly head-marking only in the agreement sense, with the associative particle a carrying class agreement to the possessum.

Possessive paradigm

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	ni-na	tu-na
2nd	u-na	m-na
3rd	a-na	wa-na

Examples

• Nina kitabu. 'I have a book.' (Companion: I-with book)
• Ana na watoto wawili. 'He/she has two children.' (lit. 'is with children two')
• Saa ni y-angu. 'The watch is mine.' (Equation: watch is of-me)

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.sourceSchema : Typology.Possession.PossessionSource

Swahili uses the Companion Schema for have-constructions: subject prefix + na (< -wa na 'be with').

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.sourceSchema = Typology.Possession.PossessionSource.companion

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.predicativeStrategy : Typology.Possession.PredicativePossession

Swahili's predicative strategy is comitative.

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.predicativeStrategy = Typology.Possession.PredicativePossession.comitative

theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.strategy_matches_schema : Typology.Possession.predicativeSource predicativeStrategy = sourceSchema

The strategy matches the schema via predicativeSource.

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possessiveForm (c : NounClass) : String

The possessive form: subject prefix + "na".

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possessiveForm c = c.subjPrefix ++ "na"

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1sg : String

First-person singular and plural forms use special prefixes.

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1sg = "nina"

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1pl : String

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1pl = "tuna"

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2sg : String

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2sg = "una"

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2pl : String

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2pl = "mna"

theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.locative_uses_na : possessiveForm NounClass.cl16 = "pana" ∧ possessiveForm NounClass.cl17 = "kuna" ∧ possessiveForm NounClass.cl18 = "muna"

Locative classes use the same -na marker for "there is ... with", illustrating how Companion and Location schemas overlap in Swahili.

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.belongSchema : Typology.Possession.PossessionSource

Swahili's belong-construction uses the associative marker -a, with class-conditioned agreement: ni y-angu 'is of-me' (cl9). This is an instance of the Equation Schema: "Y is X's (property)".

Equations

• Fragments.Swahili.Possession.belongSchema = Typology.Possession.PossessionSource.equation

theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.have_belong_distinct : sourceSchema ≠ belongSchema

The have- and belong-schemas are distinct in Swahili, as predicted by Table 2.4: Companion → have only; Equation → belong only.

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.expressibleNotions : List Typology.Possession.PossessiveNotion

Swahili -na covers all seven possessive notions — it is not restricted to a subset. This is characteristic of highly grammaticalized have-markers (@cite{heine-1997} §2.3).

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.covers_all_notions : expressibleNotions.length = 7

All seven notions are expressible.

def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possession : Typology.Possession.PossessionProfile

Swahili possession profile.

Adnominal strategy is encoded as .headMarking to match Bantu noun-class concord (the associative particle a agrees with the possessum in class). The strict @cite{nichols-1986} typology would classify it differently in some descriptions; we follow the WALS convention here.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.