Yoruba Relativization Fragment #
Yoruba forms relative clauses with the introducer tí (high tone — distinct
from the toneless preverbal anteriority particle ti and the locative-source
preposition ti). Strategy varies by Accessibility-Hierarchy position:
subject and genitive use pronoun retention, direct object and most obliques
use gap.
[Awo78] §6.18-6.24 is the descriptive primary source (also the
work WALS F122A cites for Yoruba's .pronounRetention value).
[KC79] pp. 349-350 provides the K&C 1977 Table 1 codification
in exemplified form, with an analytical argument that the SU-position pronoun
ó is verb agreement rather than a true resumptive (a position the descriptive
Fragment doesn't commit to). K&C 1977 Table 1 p. 79 codes Yoruba as two
strategies: postnom -case (SU+DO) and postnom +case (GEN); IO/OBL/OComp coded
as * (does-not-exist-as-such, recast as DO via serial verb).
[Awo78] §6.24 explicitly rejects the traditional relative-pronoun
analysis of tí, treating it as an "introducer" (≈ complementizer in modern
terms). [Aji05] §1.2.2 reaffirms a C-head analysis (in his case for
the M-tone ti found within genitive DPs, analyzed as a reduced relative).
[Awo78] §3.15 additionally shows that genitive-meaning
constructions without overt tí (e.g. owó Dàda "Dada's money") are derived
from relative-clause sources (owó tí Dàda ní "the money that Dada has"), so
the genitive relativization channel is widely available.
The introducer tí (high tone, [Awo78] §6.18), with what occupies the relativized position by position:
- §6.19, subject: the high-tone third person singular pronoun ó, Ọkùnrin tí ó pè mí 'the man who called me', the pattern of [KC79]'s example 127. [KC79] analyse ó as verb agreement, which [KC77] exclude from pronoun retention (p. 92); it is recorded here as Awobuluyi describes it, a pronoun.
- §6.20, direct object: dropped completely, Ọkùnrin tí mo rí 'the man I saw'.
- §6.21–6.22, indirect object and oblique: the prepositions fi, ti, bá, fún and sí drop their object (§6.21), Ọbẹ tí mo fi gé e 'the knife I cut it with'; the preposition ní triggers restructuring, the object dropped and repositioned, with tí inserted for place nouns and exceptions for wà and gbé (§6.22). The gap is recorded.
- §6.23, genitive: the qualifier is replaced by rẹ̀ (singular) or wọn (plural), Ọmọ tí olè jí ìwé rẹ̀ 'the child whose books were stolen'. Retention is obligatory ([KC79]'s example 126 rejects the gap), and the genitive is the lowest relativizable position.
Equations
- One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
Instances For
The Yoruba relativizers.