Documentation

Linglib.Fragments.Swahili.Possession

Swahili Possessive Constructions #

@cite{heine-1997} @cite{stassen-2009}

Swahili (Bantu, Niger-Congo) derives its primary have-construction from the Companion Schema ("X is with Y" → "X has Y"). The possessive marker -na is a fusion of the copula -wa 'be' and the comitative preposition na 'with'. In the present tense unmarked form, the copula is deleted, leaving subject prefix + na as an unanalyzable possessive marker.

Swahili also has locative noun classes 16 (pa-), 17 (ku-), and 18 (mu-) that are relevant to possession via the Location Schema, and an Equation Schema belong-construction using the associative -a.

Possessive paradigm #

PersonSingularPlural
1stni-natu-na
2ndu-nam-na
3rda-nawa-na

Examples #

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def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.sourceSchema :
Phenomena.Possession.Typology.PossessionSource

Swahili uses the Companion Schema for have-constructions: subject prefix + na (< -wa na 'be with').

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    def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.predicativeStrategy :
    Phenomena.Possession.Typology.PredicativePossession

    Swahili's predicative strategy is comitative.

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      theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.strategy_matches_schema :
      Phenomena.Possession.Typology.predicativeSource predicativeStrategy = sourceSchema

      The strategy matches the schema via predicativeSource.

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      def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possessiveForm (c : NounClass) :
      String

      The possessive form: subject prefix + "na".

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        def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1sg :
        String

        First-person singular and plural forms use special prefixes.

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          def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm1pl :
          String
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            def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2sg :
            String
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              def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.possForm2pl :
              String
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                theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.locative_uses_na :
                possessiveForm NounClass.cl16 = "pana" ∧ possessiveForm NounClass.cl17 = "kuna" ∧ possessiveForm NounClass.cl18 = "muna"

                Locative classes use the same -na marker for "there is ... with", illustrating how Companion and Location schemas overlap in Swahili.

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                def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.belongSchema :
                Phenomena.Possession.Typology.PossessionSource

                Swahili's belong-construction uses the associative marker -a, with class-conditioned agreement: ni y-angu 'is of-me' (cl9). This is an instance of the Equation Schema: "Y is X's (property)".

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                  theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.have_belong_distinct :
                  sourceSchema ≠ belongSchema

                  The have- and belong-schemas are distinct in Swahili, as predicted by Table 2.4: Companion → have only; Equation → belong only.

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                  def Fragments.Swahili.Possession.expressibleNotions :
                  List Phenomena.Possession.Typology.PossessiveNotion

                  Swahili -na covers all seven possessive notions — it is not restricted to a subset. This is characteristic of highly grammaticalized have-markers (@cite{heine-1997} §2.3).

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                    theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.covers_all_notions :
                    expressibleNotions.length = 7

                    All seven notions are expressible.

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                    theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.companion_matches_heine :
                    have p := Phenomena.Possession.Studies.Heine1997.predictionsFor sourceSchema; p.yieldsHave = true ∧ p.yieldsBelong = false ∧ p.possessorIsSubject = true ∧ p.arity = Semantics.Lexical.Noun.Relational.Barker2011.SemType.pred2

                    Swahili's Companion Schema matches Heine's predictions: have-construction (not belong), possessor as subject, Pred2.

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                    theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.full_grammaticalization :
                    expressibleNotions.length = 7 ∧ Phenomena.Possession.Studies.Heine1997.OverlapStage.targetOnly.degree = 2

                    Swahili is at Stage III: the -na marker is no longer decomposable into copula + comitative, so the source meaning (accompaniment) is no longer available. All seven notions expressible confirms full grammaticalization.

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                    theorem Fragments.Swahili.Possession.wals_consistent :
                    Phenomena.Possession.Studies.Heine1997.walsToSchema Core.WALS.F117A.PredicativePossession.conjunctional = sourceSchema

                    WALS F117A classifies Swahili as conjunctional (Stassen's term for comitative-based possession), which maps to Heine's Companion Schema via walsToSchema.