Cover not available
Part of
Similative and Equative Constructions: A cross-linguistic perspective
Edited by Yvonne Treis and Martine Vanhove
[Typological Studies in Language 117] 2017
► pp. 189–212

Chapter 7
Similative, equative, and comparative constructions in Beja (North-Cushitic)

This paper presents an overview of the morphosyntax of comparative, equative and similative constructions in Beja, a Cushitic language spoken in Sudan. It also discusses their relevance for current typological models and the extent to which they are at variance with the existing literature (Stassen 1985; Haspelmath & Buchholz 1998; Henkelmann 2006). The paper also proposes hypotheses regarding the origin of Beja comparative and similative morphemes, an issue which is problematic. A section is dedicated to the study of the extensions of the morphemes concerned to other functional domains, such as functives, pretence clauses, similes and accord clauses, causal and adverbial clauses, within the background of Creissels’s (2014) approach to the polysemy and multifunctionality of these markers. Comparisons with other Cushitic languages are also provided when necessary.
Keywords: Beja, similarity, comparison, grammaticalisation, typology
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Comparative constructions
    • 2.1Morphosyntax
    • 2.2Typology and origin
  • 3.Equative constructions
    • 3.1Morphosyntax of locative and “extent” constructions
    • 3.2Morphosyntax of similative-based constructions
    • 3.3Typology
  • 4.Similative constructions
    • 4.1The similative marker
      • 4.1.1Morphology
      • 4.1.2Syntax of similative phrases
      • 4.1.3 Syntax of similative clauses
      • 4.1.4Origin of the similative marker
    • 4.2The comparative strategy: Similative clauses
      • 4.2.1Morphosyntax
      • 4.2.2Typology
  • 5.Extensions of comparative, equative and similative constructions
    • 5.1Functive constructions (role phrases)
    • 5.2Pretence clauses
    • 5.3Similes and accord clauses
    • 5.4Adverbials
      • 5.4.1Adverbialiser
      • 5.4.2Causal adverbial clauses
      • 5.4.3Concessive adverbial clauses
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 31 May 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.117.08van
References (19)
References
Appleyard, David. 2006. A Comparative Dictionary of the Agaw Languages. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.Google Scholar
. 2007. Beja morphology. In Morphologies of Asia and Africa, Alan S. Kaye (ed.), 447–480. Winona Lake IN: Eisenbrauns.Google Scholar
Cohen, David. 1988. Bédja. In Les Langues dans le monde ancien et moderne. Langues chamito-sémitiques, David Cohen (ed.), 270–277. Paris: Editions du CNRS.Google Scholar
Creissels, Denis. 2014. Functive phrases in typological and diachronic perspective. Studies in Language 38 (3): 605–647. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Haspelmath, Martin & Buchholz, Oda. 1998. Equative and similative constructions in the languages of Europe. In Adverbial Constructions in the Languages of Europe, Johan van der Auwera (ed.), 277–334. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heine, Bernd & Kuteva, Tania. 2002. World Lexicon of Grammaticalisation. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Henkelmann, Peter. 2006. Constructions of equative comparison. Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung (STUF) 59 (4): 370–398.Google Scholar
Hetzron, Robert. 1978. The nominal system of Awngi (Southern Agaw). Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 41 (1): 121–141. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hudson, Richard A. nd. A Dictionary of Beja. Ms, draft version prepared by Roger Blench.
Reinisch, Leo. 1893. Die Beḍauye-Sprache in Nordost-Afrika, Vol. I, II. Wien: Sitzungsberichte der Kais. Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien L, Band CXXVIII.Google Scholar
. 1895. Wörterbuch der Beḍawiye-Sprache. Wien: Alfred Hölder.Google Scholar
Roper, E. M. 1928. “TuBeḍawiɛ”. An Elementary Handbook for the Use of Sudan Government Officials. Hertford, Herts: Stephen Austin and Sons.Google Scholar
Saeed, John Ibrahim. 1993. Somali Reference Grammar, 2nd rev. edn. Kensington: Dunwoody Press.Google Scholar
Stassen, Leon. 1985. Comparison and Universal Grammar. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
. 2011. Comparative constructions. In The World Atlas of Language Structures Online, Chapter 121, Matthew S. Dryer & Martin Haspelmath (eds). Munich: Max Planck Digital Library. <[URL]> (14 June 2016).
Treis, Yvonne. 2008. A Grammar of Kambaata, Part 1: Phonology, Nominal Morphology, and Non-Verbal Predication. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.Google Scholar
Vanhove, Martine. 2014a. TheBeja Corpus. Corpus recorded, transcribed and annotated by Martine Vanhove. In The CorpAfroAs Corpus of Spoken AfroAsiatic Languages, Amina Mettouchi & Christian Chanard (eds). 10.1075/scl.68.website> (14 June 2016).
. 2014b. Beja Grammatical Sketch. In CorpAfroAs Corpus of Spoken AfroAsiatic Languages, Amina Mettouchi & Christian Chanard (eds). 10.1075/scl.68.website> (14 June 2016).
. In press. Mood and modality in Beja. In Mood and Modality and Utterance Types in Omotic and Related Languages, Azeb Amha & Anne-Christie Hellenthal (eds). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.