Serialization Of Path Verbs In Akan

Abstract

ABSTRACT This thesis investigates the behaviour of multiple Path verbs in Akan serial verb construction. Akan is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana. It examines the semantic and syntactic properties of Akan serial verb constructions that consist of two or more Path verbs. The study also looks at how Akan Path verbs behave in simple and serial verb constructions. The study relied on primary data complemented with corpus data and also the native speaker intuition of the author. The study shows that some Akan Path verbs introduce arguments that express the goal of motion, while others express source, route, or change of direction. It also reveals that some Akan Path verbs inherently express the deictic center as the goal of motion while other Path verbs inherently do not express the deictic center as the goal of motion. The findings reveal that SVCs with multiple Path verbs have major categories based on how the Path elements are packaged in the construction. One category expresses simultaneous event (Simultaneous PSVC) whereas the other category expresses sequential event (Sequential PSVC). The two categories indicate that Akan has a way of packaging verbs to express a particular type of motion event. Using Talmy’s (2000) Lexicalization theory as the framework, the study establishes that Akan is an Equipollently-framed language. The study also examines the grammatical function verbs acquire as they occur in serial verb constructions. It reveals that some verbs acquire grammatical functions based on how they relate to other verbs in the construction. It also points out that other verbs acquire grammatical functions based on their position (V1, V2) in the construction.