Complex Predicates in Zargulla

Abstract

The paper presents an analysis of complex predicates in Zargulla, a member of the East Ometo branch of Omotic. Complex predicates are constructions in which a single clause is headed by two verbal constituents. The V1 constituent of complex predicates may be any lexical or ideophonic verb whereas the V2 constituent is restricted to about ten lexical verbs, which comprise several motion verbs. Ideophonic verbs are used as V1 constituents in their basic (lexical) form without any further morphological marking. Other V1 constituents must be either in the converb or intensive verb form. Thus on the basis of the structure of V1, the language has three types of complex predicates: [V1[CNV]-V2], [V1[INT]-V2], and [V1[IDPH]-V2]. The basic, minimal form of a complex predicate in Zargulla consists of two verbs: V1 plus V2. Surface realizations of complex predicates with three verbs are thus analyzed hierarchically: V1-V2 being used as a V1 input for a higher-level complex predicate. Schematically represented, the two hierarchical structures are: [V1-V2] and [V1[V1+V2]-V2]. Support for the two-level analysis stems from the fact that in complex predicates of the latter type the final V2 may be realized once after a series of V1[V1+V2] constituents. Semantically, complex predicates are characterized by expressiveness, i.e. unlike simple verbs, they encode events together with manner (e.g. speed), context (e.g. unexpectedness), direction, etc. as integral part of their meaning. Complex predicates are compact structural parallels to syntactic constructions involving a simple verb and one or more adverbial phrases.