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Similative and Equative Constructions: A cross-linguistic perspective
Edited by Yvonne Treis and Martine Vanhove
[Typological Studies in Language 117] 2017
► pp. 91–142

Chapter 4
Similative morphemes as purpose clause markers in Ethiopia and beyond

In more than 30 languages spoken at the Horn of Africa, a similative morpheme ‘like’ or a noun ‘manner’ or ‘type’ is used as a marker of purpose clauses. The paper first elaborates on the many functions of the enclitic morpheme =g ‘manner’ in Kambaata (Highland East Cushitic), which is used, among others, as a marker of the standard in similative and equative comparison (‘like’, ‘as’), of temporal clauses of immediate anteriority (‘as soon as’), of complement clauses (‘that’) and, most notably, of purpose clauses (‘in order to’). The second part of the paper gives a detailed account of the distribution of the use of ‘like’, ‘manner’ or ‘type’ as a purpose clause marker in Afroasiatic and Nilo-Saharan languages of the Horn of Africa. Similative-purpose multifunctionality, which is cross-linguistically rare, concentrates especially in central areas of Ethiopia and can be assumed to be the result of language contact between certain Cushitic, Ethio-Semitic and Omotic languages.
Keywords: Similarity, purpose clauses, language contact, Ethiopian Linguistic Area, multifunctionality replication
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The multifunctionality of =g ‘manner’ in Kambaata
    • 2.1Introduction
    • 2.2Morphology and morphosyntax of =g ‘manner’
    • 2.3Similarity
    • 2.4Simulation
    • 2.5Equality
    • 2.6Accord
    • 2.7Correlation
    • 2.8Exemplification
    • 2.9Role phrases (Functives)
    • 2.10Immediate anteriority
    • 2.11Contrast
    • 2.12Purpose
    • 2.13Weak obligation
    • 2.14Complementation
    • 2.15Exclamation
    • 2.16Summary
  • 3.Similative-purpose multifunctionality in Ethiopia
    • 3.1Cushitic
    • 3.2Ethio-Semitic
    • 3.3Omotic
    • 3.4Ethiopian Nilo-Saharan
  • 4.Summary
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 31 May 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.117.05tre
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