Difference between revisions of "Adpositions"
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! Gloss || Adposition || || || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
! Gloss || Adposition || || || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
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|- |
|- |
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− | | at/to || no || || || VW_054 || || || eg. no oɓox ole [noɓox ole]"at the dog" |
+ | | at/to || no= || || || VW_054 || || || eg. no oɓox ole [noɓox ole]"at the dog" |
|- |
|- |
||
| with || fo || || || VW_054 || || || fo japil "with the knife", fo oteo "with the woman" |
| with || fo || || || VW_054 || || || fo japil "with the knife", fo oteo "with the woman" |
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| under || ɗoxang || ɗoxang, ɗoxaŋ || || JM_021 || || || ɗoxang mbaj ne "under the blanket" |
| under || ɗoxang || ɗoxang, ɗoxaŋ || || JM_021 || || || ɗoxang mbaj ne "under the blanket" |
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|- |
|- |
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− | | |
+ | | amidst/between/surrounded by/inside || ndeer || || || VW_024 || || || ndeer taxarke "amidst the trees", alternates with andeer, plural |
− | |- |
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− | | amidst/between/surrounded by/inside || ndeer || || || VW_024 || || || ndeer taxarke "amidst the trees" |
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− | |- |
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− | | between, in the middle between (2 things) || ndeender || || || VW_024 || || || ndeender taxarke "between the (two) trees" |
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|- |
|- |
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| in front of || mbaambir || || || JM_021, VW_054 || || || |
| in front of || mbaambir || || || JM_021, VW_054 || || || |
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{|class="wikitable" |
{|class="wikitable" |
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− | |+ '''2. Verbal |
+ | |+ '''2. Verbal Markers''' |
! Gloss || Adposition || Verbal Root|| Meaning || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
! Gloss || Adposition || Verbal Root|| Meaning || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
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|- |
|- |
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| from || inoorna || come from || inoor || VW_068 || || || |
| from || inoorna || come from || inoor || VW_068 || || || |
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|- |
|- |
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− | | in front of || adox |
+ | | in front of || adox || be first|| dox || VW_038 (JH_039) || || || derived from "leader" N |
|- |
|- |
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| above|| yooroox || be above || yooroox || VW_097 || || || |
| above|| yooroox || be above || yooroox || VW_097 || || || |
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Line 61: | Line 57: | ||
| facing || faam || || || || || || often appears with -ir |
| facing || faam || || || || || || often appears with -ir |
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|- |
|- |
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− | | toward || jasnoor || || || || || || |
+ | | toward || jasnoor || go toward || jasnoor || VW_135 || || || |
|} |
|} |
||
=== Structure of PPs=== |
=== Structure of PPs=== |
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− | Spatial prepositions are indicated by particles that appear preposed to the noun phrase. Because noun phrases are head initial, i.e all nominal modifiers (determiners, adjectives, numerals) appear following the noun, the preposition always appears directly adjacent to the noun, as shown in |
+ | Spatial prepositions are indicated by particles that appear preposed to the noun phrase. Because noun phrases are head initial, i.e all nominal modifiers (determiners, adjectives, numerals) appear following the noun, the preposition always appears directly adjacent to the noun, as shown in <glr id="with.a.knife"/>-<glr id="under.tree"/>. |
+ | <gl id="with.a.knife" fontsize=12> |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | fo japil |
|
+ | \gll fo japil |
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− | |- |
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+ | with knife |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | \trans with the knife (026) |
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− | | align="left" | fo || align="left" | japil |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | with || align="left" | knife |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'with a knife' (026) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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− | 2) |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | ''na pamb ake'' |
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− | |- |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | na || align="left" | pamb || align="left" | ake |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | at || align="left" | drums || align="left" | DET |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'at the drums' (086) |
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− | |- |
||
− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="at.the.drums" fontsize=12> |
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+ | na pamb ake |
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+ | \gll na pamb ake |
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+ | at drums DET |
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+ | \trans at the drums (086) |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | 3) |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | ''ɗoxang ndaxar yaxgu ne'' |
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− | |- |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | ɗoxang || align="left" | ndaxar || align="left" | yaxgu || align="left" | ne |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | under || align="left" | tree || align="left" | red || align="left" | DET |
||
− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'under the red tree' (110) |
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− | |- |
||
− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="under.tree" fontsize=12> |
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− | Prepositions treat pronouns in the same manner as full nouns, as shown in Examples 4 and 5. The first and second |
||
+ | ɗoxang ndaxar yaxgu ne |
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+ | \gll ɗoxang ndaxar yaxgu ne |
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+ | under tree red DET |
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+ | \trans under the red tree (110) |
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+ | </gl> |
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+ | Prepositions treat pronouns in the same manner as full nouns, as shown in Examples <glr id="with.it"/> and <glr id="near.them"/>. |
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− | 4) |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | ''adega ndawal ne fo ten'' |
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− | |- |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | a- || align="left" | deg || align="left" | -a || align="left" | ndawal || align="left" | ne || align="left" | fo || align="left" | ten |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 3S- || align="left" | cut || align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | meat || align="left" | DET || align="left" | with || align="left" | 3PRO |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'he cut the meat with it' (123) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="with.it" fontsize=12> |
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− | 5) |
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+ | adega ndawal ne fo ten |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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+ | \gll a- deg -a ndawal ne fo ten |
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− | | align="left" | ''ndiiƭ ne axe pam den'' |
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+ | 3S- cut -NPT meat DET with 3PRO |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans He cut the meat with it. (123) |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | | align="left" | ndiiƭ || align="left" | ne || align="left" | a- || align="left" | xe || align="left" | pam ||align="left" | den |
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+ | |||
− | |- |
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+ | |||
− | | align="left" | bird || align="left" | DET || align="left" | 3S- || align="left" | PROG|| align="left" | near || align="left" | 3PRO.PL |
||
+ | <gl id="near.them" fontsize=12> |
||
− | |} |
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+ | ndiiƭ ne axe pam den |
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− | |- |
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+ | \gll ndiiƭ ne a- xe pam den |
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− | | align="left" | 'the bird is near them' (123) |
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+ | bird DET 3S- PROG near 3PRO.PL |
||
− | |- |
||
+ | \trans The bird is near them. (123) |
||
− | |} |
||
+ | </gl> |
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===Embedding PPs=== |
===Embedding PPs=== |
||
− | Prepositions can be used to to introduce PPs that modify core arguments as well as add arguments. Word order in Sereer is relatively strict; when a PP directly follows a subject, it must be interpreted as modifying that argument, as shown in Examples |
+ | Prepositions can be used to to introduce PPs that modify core arguments as well as add arguments. Word order in Sereer is relatively strict; when a PP directly follows a subject, it must be interpreted as modifying that argument, as shown in Examples <glr id="elephant.farted"/> and <glr id="cat.house"/>. However, as shown in <glr id="fruit.on.table"/>, a PP that is clause-finally can be understood as modifying either the subject or object. PPs that modify the action of the verb, specifying its spatial position, appear post-verbally, as shown in <glr id="near.forest.1"/>. It is also possible to place PPs that modify verbs sentence-initially, as shown in <glr id="near.forest.2"/>. These are translated with a fronted PP in English, as well, and presumably are licensed by focus. |
+ | <gl id="elephant.farted" fontsize=12> |
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− | 6) PP modifying subject of intransitive verb |
||
+ | fañiik fe kam foofi' le axaasa |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | \gll fañiik fe kam foofi' le a- xaas -a |
|
+ | elephant DET in water DET 3S- fart -NPT |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans The elephant in the water farted. (110) |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | | align="left" | fañiik || align="left" | fe || align="left" | kam || align="left" | foofi' || align="left" | le ||align="left" | a- ||align="left" | xaas||align="left" | -a |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | elephant || align="left" | DET || align="left" | in || align="left" | water || align="left" | DET || align="left" | 3S- || align="left" | fart ||align="left" | -NPT |
||
− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'the elephant in the water farted' (110) |
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− | |- |
||
− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="cat.house" fontsize=12> |
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− | 7) PP modifying subject of transitive verb |
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+ | muus ne kam mbine a- ñaam -a ndiiƭ ne |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | \gll muus ne kam mbine a- ñaam -a ndiiƭ ne |
|
+ | cat DET inside house.DET 3S- eat -NPT bird DET |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans The cat in the house ate the bird. (123) |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | | align="left" | muus || align="left" | ne || align="left" | kam || align="left" | mbine || align="left" | a- ||align="left" | ñaam ||align="left" | -a ||align="left" | ndiiƭ ||align="left" | ne |
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− | |- |
||
− | | align="left" | cat || align="left" | DET || align="left" | inside || align="left" | house.DET|| align="left" | 3S- || align="left" | eat ||align="left" | -NPT ||align="left" | bird ||align="left" | DET |
||
− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'the cat in the house ate the bird' (123) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="fruit.on.table" fontsize=12> |
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+ | okoor oxe añaama ɓaak le tok atabla le |
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+ | \gll okoor oxe a- ñaam -a ɓaak le tok atabla le |
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+ | man DET 3S- eat -NPT baobab.fruit DET on table DET |
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+ | \trans The man eats the baobab fruit on the table (110) |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | 8) PP modifying either the subject or object of transitive verb |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | ''okoor oxe añaama ɓaak le tok atabla le'' |
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− | |- |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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− | | align="left" | okoor || align="left" | oxe || align="left" | a- || align="left" | ñaam || align="left" | -a ||align="left" | ɓaak ||align="left" | le ||align="left" | tok ||align="left" | atabla ||align="left" | le |
||
− | |- |
||
− | | align="left" | man || align="left" | DET|| align="left" | 3S- || align="left" | eat ||align="left" | -NPT ||align="left" | baobab.fruit ||align="left" | DET ||align="left" | on ||align="left" | table ||align="left" | DET |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'the man eats the baobab fruit on the table' (110) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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+ | <gl id="near.forest.1" fontsize=12> |
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− | 9) PP modifying the verb |
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+ | ɗaanam pam aqoƥ ale |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | \gll ɗaan -a -um pam aqoƥ ale |
|
+ | sleep -NPT -1S near forest DET |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans I sleep near the forest (110) |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | | align="left" | ɗaan || align="left" | -a || align="left" | -um || align="left" | pam || align="left" | aqoƥ || align="left" | ale |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | sleep || align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | 1S || align="left" | near || align="left" | forest || align="left" | DET |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'I sleep near the forest' (110) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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+ | |||
− | 10) Sentence-initial PP modifying the verb |
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+ | <gl id="near.forest.2" fontsize=12> |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | pam aqoƥ ale ɗaanum |
|
+ | \gll pam aqoƥ ale ɗaan -um |
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− | |- |
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+ | near forest DET sleep -1S |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | \trans Near the forest I slept. (110) |
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− | | align="left" | pam || align="left" | aqoƥ || align="left" | ale || align="left" | ɗaan || align="left" | -um |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | near || align="left" | forest || align="left" | DET || align="left" | sleep || align="left" | 1S |
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− | |} |
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− | |- |
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− | | align="left" | 'near the forest I slept' (110) |
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− | |- |
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− | |} |
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=== Co-occurrence Restrictions=== |
=== Co-occurrence Restrictions=== |
||
− | Verbal and non-verbal prepositions can co-occur, as shown in |
+ | Verbal and non-verbal prepositions can co-occur, as shown in |
+ | <glr id="toward.under"/> and <glr id="toward.middle"/>. However, non-verbal prepositions can only co-occur if they are indicating two different locations, as shown in <glr id="in.infront"/>. |
||
+ | <gl id="toward.under" fontsize=12> |
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− | 11) |
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+ | ɗufam mbaamir ɗoxang mbine |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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− | + | \gll ɗuf -a -m mbaamir ɗoxang mbind ne |
|
+ | run -NPT -1S in.front.of under house DET |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans I ran toward under the house. (110) |
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− | {| cellpadding="1" |
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+ | </gl> |
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− | | align="left" | ɗuf || align="left" | -a || align="left" | -um || align="left" | mbaamir || align="left" | ɗoxang || align="left" | mbine |
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+ | |||
− | |- |
||
+ | |||
− | | align="left" | run || align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | -1S || align="left" | in.front.of || align="left" | under || align="left" | house.DET |
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+ | <gl id="toward.middle" fontsize=12> |
||
− | |} |
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+ | loolam jofaa ndeer suk ne |
||
− | |- |
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+ | \gll lool -a -m jof -a -a ndeer suk ne |
||
− | | align="left" | 'I ran toward under the house' (110) |
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+ | cry -NPT -1S go.toward -NPT -?? amidst boat DET |
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− | |- |
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+ | \trans I cry going to the middle of the boat. (135) |
||
− | |} |
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+ | </gl> |
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+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | <gl id="in.infront" fontsize=12> |
||
+ | arefa kam wala mbaamir |
||
+ | \gll a- ref -a kam wala mbaamir |
||
+ | 3s- be -NPT in or in.front.of |
||
+ | \trans It can be in or in front. (135) |
||
+ | </gl> |
||
+ | |||
+ | === Reduplication=== |
||
+ | |||
+ | Reduplication is a productive process in Sereer, which can encode various semantic content. Some prepositions can be reduplicated, which indicates intensification. Bi-syllabic prepositions do not get reduplicated, such as tafil "outside" and doxang "underneath". Further examples of reduplication are given in the section on [[Reduplication]]. |
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+ | {|class="wikitable" |
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− | 12) |
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+ | |+ '''Reduplication''' |
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− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
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+ | ! Gloss || Adposition || Root Form|| || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
||
− | | align="left" | '' loolam jofaa ndeer suk ne'' |
||
|- |
|- |
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+ | | tip-top || tok e tok ||tok || || VW_135 || || || |
||
− | {| cellpadding="1" |
||
− | | align="left" | lool|| align="left" | -a || align="left" | -um || align="left" | jof|| align="left" | -a || align="left" | -a || align="left" | ndeer || align="left" | suk || align="left" | ne |
||
|- |
|- |
||
+ | | very inside || kam e kam ||kam || || VW_135 || || || |
||
− | | align="left" | cry|| align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | -1S || align="left" | go.toward || align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | ?? || align="left" | amidst || align="left" | boat || align="left" | DET |
||
− | |} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
+ | | right next to || pam e pam ||pam|| || VW_143 || || || |
||
− | | align="left" | 'I cry going to the middle of the boat' (135) |
||
− | |- |
||
− | |} |
||
− | |||
− | 12) |
||
− | {| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" |
||
− | | align="left" | '' arefa kam wala mbaamir'' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
+ | | right in the middle || ndeender ||ndeer || || VW_024 || || || |
||
− | {| cellpadding="1" |
||
− | | align="left" | a-|| align="left" | ref || align="left" | -a || align="left" | kam || align="left" | wala || align="left" | mbaamir |
||
− | |- |
||
− | | align="left" | 3s-|| align="left" | be || align="left" | -NPT || align="left" | inside || align="left" | or || align="left" | in front |
||
|} |
|} |
||
− | |- |
||
− | | align="left" | 'It can be in or in front' (135) |
||
− | |- |
||
− | |} |
||
− | |||
+ | ===Temporal Adpositions=== |
||
+ | Temporal adpositions can be used to license additional arguments as well as combine clauses. The clause-linking functionality is discussed under [[Adverbial Clauses]]. However, these markers , shown in the Table below, can be used to license a noun phrase or other modifier. Examples are given in <glr id="na.during"/> and <glr id="bo.yesterday"/>. |
||
{|class="wikitable" |
{|class="wikitable" |
||
− | |+ ''' |
+ | |+ '''Tempora Clause-linkers''' |
! Gloss || Adposition || || || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
! Gloss || Adposition || || || Source || || || Notes, Example Sentences |
||
|- |
|- |
||
− | | before || bala || || || VW_054 || || || |
+ | | before || bala ~ balaa || || || VW_054, VW_167 || || || |
|- |
|- |
||
− | | |
+ | | after || acinj || || || VW_068 || || || also locative "behind" |
|- |
|- |
||
− | | |
+ | | after || ye || || || VW_167 || || || |
|- |
|- |
||
− | | |
+ | | when, while || ye, yaa || || || VW_167 || || || |
|- |
|- |
||
− | | until || |
+ | | until || bo || || || VW_167 || || || |
|- |
|- |
||
− | | |
+ | | during || na|| || || VW_068 || || || also locative "in" |
− | |- |
||
− | | until || booyaate || || || VW_068 || || || |
||
− | |||
|} |
|} |
||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | <gl id="na.during" fontsize=12> |
||
+ | na 'und ae |
||
+ | \gll na 'und ale |
||
+ | in storm DET |
||
+ | \trans during the storm (068) |
||
+ | </gl> |
||
+ | |||
+ | <gl id="bo.yesterday" fontsize=12> |
||
+ | bo faak jir'am ajir |
||
+ | \gll bo faak jir ' -am a- jir |
||
+ | until yesterday be.sick -PST -1S ?- RED |
||
+ | \trans Until yesterday I was sick. (167) |
||
+ | </gl> |
Latest revision as of 09:10, 6 May 2013
Adpositions indicate the semantic relationship between two nouns in a construction. Cross-linguistically, adpositions are primarily used to encode spatial relationships. In Sereer, most adpositions are used to inidicate spatial relationships, through there are also temporal adpositions, and adpositions that license additional arguments without spatial reference. In all cases, adpositions are preposed to the noun that they modify, and they are morphologically free particles.
Spatial Prepositions
There are two classes of spatial prepositions: those that function verbally and therefore take verbal morphology, and those that cannot take verbal morphology. The non-verbal adpositions are indicated in Table 1, while those that have verbal characteristics are shown in Table 2.
Gloss | Adposition | Source | Notes, Example Sentences | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
at/to | no= | VW_054 | eg. no oɓox ole [noɓox ole]"at the dog" | ||||
with | fo | VW_054 | fo japil "with the knife", fo oteo "with the woman" | ||||
in/inside | kam | JM_021, VW_040 | |||||
near/by/next to | pam | pam | JM_021, VW_040 | pam ndaxarne "by the tree" | |||
over/above/on/up | tok | JM_021, VW_040 | used also as adv. "up" | ||||
under | ɗoxang | ɗoxang, ɗoxaŋ | JM_021 | ɗoxang mbaj ne "under the blanket" | |||
amidst/between/surrounded by/inside | ndeer | VW_024 | ndeer taxarke "amidst the trees", alternates with andeer, plural | ||||
in front of | mbaambir | JM_021, VW_054 | |||||
behind/after | acinj | JM_021, VW_040 | acinj mbine "behind the house" | ||||
behind | kataa | VW_040 | |||||
outside | tafil | VW_040 | also N "outside" |
Gloss | Adposition | Verbal Root | Meaning | Source | Notes, Example Sentences | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
around | widna, mbidna | twist around | wid | VW_040 | |||
toward | jofna | go toward | ɟof | VW_024 | |||
near (to) | matna | be near | mat | VW_024 | |||
far from | goƭna | be far | goƭ | VW_024 | |||
from | xatna | come from | xat | VW_068 | |||
from | inoorna | come from | inoor | VW_068 | |||
in front of | adox | be first | dox | VW_038 (JH_039) | derived from "leader" N | ||
above | yooroox | be above | yooroox | VW_097 | |||
facing | faam | often appears with -ir | |||||
toward | jasnoor | go toward | jasnoor | VW_135 |
Structure of PPs
Spatial prepositions are indicated by particles that appear preposed to the noun phrase. Because noun phrases are head initial, i.e all nominal modifiers (determiners, adjectives, numerals) appear following the noun, the preposition always appears directly adjacent to the noun, as shown in <glr id="with.a.knife"/>-<glr id="under.tree"/>.
<gl id="with.a.knife" fontsize=12>
fo japil
\gll fo japil
with knife
\trans with the knife (026)
</gl>
<gl id="at.the.drums" fontsize=12>
na pamb ake
\gll na pamb ake
at drums DET
\trans at the drums (086)
</gl>
<gl id="under.tree" fontsize=12>
ɗoxang ndaxar yaxgu ne
\gll ɗoxang ndaxar yaxgu ne
under tree red DET
\trans under the red tree (110)
</gl>
Prepositions treat pronouns in the same manner as full nouns, as shown in Examples <glr id="with.it"/> and <glr id="near.them"/>.
<gl id="with.it" fontsize=12> adega ndawal ne fo ten \gll a- deg -a ndawal ne fo ten 3S- cut -NPT meat DET with 3PRO \trans He cut the meat with it. (123) </gl>
<gl id="near.them" fontsize=12>
ndiiƭ ne axe pam den
\gll ndiiƭ ne a- xe pam den
bird DET 3S- PROG near 3PRO.PL
\trans The bird is near them. (123)
</gl>
Embedding PPs
Prepositions can be used to to introduce PPs that modify core arguments as well as add arguments. Word order in Sereer is relatively strict; when a PP directly follows a subject, it must be interpreted as modifying that argument, as shown in Examples <glr id="elephant.farted"/> and <glr id="cat.house"/>. However, as shown in <glr id="fruit.on.table"/>, a PP that is clause-finally can be understood as modifying either the subject or object. PPs that modify the action of the verb, specifying its spatial position, appear post-verbally, as shown in <glr id="near.forest.1"/>. It is also possible to place PPs that modify verbs sentence-initially, as shown in <glr id="near.forest.2"/>. These are translated with a fronted PP in English, as well, and presumably are licensed by focus.
<gl id="elephant.farted" fontsize=12> fañiik fe kam foofi' le axaasa \gll fañiik fe kam foofi' le a- xaas -a elephant DET in water DET 3S- fart -NPT \trans The elephant in the water farted. (110) </gl>
<gl id="cat.house" fontsize=12>
muus ne kam mbine a- ñaam -a ndiiƭ ne
\gll muus ne kam mbine a- ñaam -a ndiiƭ ne
cat DET inside house.DET 3S- eat -NPT bird DET
\trans The cat in the house ate the bird. (123)
</gl>
<gl id="fruit.on.table" fontsize=12>
okoor oxe añaama ɓaak le tok atabla le
\gll okoor oxe a- ñaam -a ɓaak le tok atabla le
man DET 3S- eat -NPT baobab.fruit DET on table DET
\trans The man eats the baobab fruit on the table (110)
</gl>
<gl id="near.forest.1" fontsize=12> ɗaanam pam aqoƥ ale \gll ɗaan -a -um pam aqoƥ ale sleep -NPT -1S near forest DET \trans I sleep near the forest (110) </gl>
<gl id="near.forest.2" fontsize=12>
pam aqoƥ ale ɗaanum
\gll pam aqoƥ ale ɗaan -um
near forest DET sleep -1S
\trans Near the forest I slept. (110)
</gl>
Co-occurrence Restrictions
Verbal and non-verbal prepositions can co-occur, as shown in <glr id="toward.under"/> and <glr id="toward.middle"/>. However, non-verbal prepositions can only co-occur if they are indicating two different locations, as shown in <glr id="in.infront"/>.
<gl id="toward.under" fontsize=12> ɗufam mbaamir ɗoxang mbine \gll ɗuf -a -m mbaamir ɗoxang mbind ne run -NPT -1S in.front.of under house DET \trans I ran toward under the house. (110) </gl>
<gl id="toward.middle" fontsize=12>
loolam jofaa ndeer suk ne
\gll lool -a -m jof -a -a ndeer suk ne cry -NPT -1S go.toward -NPT -?? amidst boat DET \trans I cry going to the middle of the boat. (135) </gl>
<gl id="in.infront" fontsize=12>
arefa kam wala mbaamir
\gll a- ref -a kam wala mbaamir 3s- be -NPT in or in.front.of \trans It can be in or in front. (135) </gl>
Reduplication
Reduplication is a productive process in Sereer, which can encode various semantic content. Some prepositions can be reduplicated, which indicates intensification. Bi-syllabic prepositions do not get reduplicated, such as tafil "outside" and doxang "underneath". Further examples of reduplication are given in the section on Reduplication.
Gloss | Adposition | Root Form | Source | Notes, Example Sentences | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
tip-top | tok e tok | tok | VW_135 | ||||
very inside | kam e kam | kam | VW_135 | ||||
right next to | pam e pam | pam | VW_143 | ||||
right in the middle | ndeender | ndeer | VW_024 |
Temporal Adpositions
Temporal adpositions can be used to license additional arguments as well as combine clauses. The clause-linking functionality is discussed under Adverbial Clauses. However, these markers , shown in the Table below, can be used to license a noun phrase or other modifier. Examples are given in <glr id="na.during"/> and <glr id="bo.yesterday"/>.
Gloss | Adposition | Source | Notes, Example Sentences | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
before | bala ~ balaa | VW_054, VW_167 | |||||
after | acinj | VW_068 | also locative "behind" | ||||
after | ye | VW_167 | |||||
when, while | ye, yaa | VW_167 | |||||
until | bo | VW_167 | |||||
during | na | VW_068 | also locative "in" |
<gl id="na.during" fontsize=12>
na 'und ae
\gll na 'und ale
in storm DET
\trans during the storm (068)
</gl>
<gl id="bo.yesterday" fontsize=12> bo faak jir'am ajir \gll bo faak jir ' -am a- jir until yesterday be.sick -PST -1S ?- RED \trans Until yesterday I was sick. (167) </gl>