Noun Modification with na

There is a common nominalizing strategy in Sereer involving the particle na and its distant past tense form -iina. This is used for predicate nominalization as well as relativization. (See the section on Relative Clauses for more details on the role of na in relative constructions).

In this type of modification, the noun and determiner form a constituent, the edge of which is subject to change in accordance with proximal/distal distinctions. That is, it’s akong aka for distal and akong ake for proximal (see section on Determiners and Demonstratives for more on proximity distinctions).

 akong ala/ale sadarnoox na	             akong aka/ake sadarnoox na
 ‘gorilla that is scary’	             ‘gorillas that are scary’

 japil fa/fe wel na			     japil ka/ke mbel na
 ‘knife that is sharp’			     ‘knives that are sharp’

 otew oxa/oxe sadarnoox na		     rew wa/we sadarnoox na
 ‘woman that is scary’		             ‘women that are scary’

The formation of complex modified noun phrases is identical to regular relativization:

 wiin wa ndet na ngat na	               wiin wa ndet na wa ngat na		
 ‘the one who went and saw’                   ‘the one who went and who saw’

Multiple na-nominalizations can layer in modifying the same noun:

 xabiy xadak axa mbelna mbodaxna
 ‘the two fruits that are delicious that are sour’

An intermediate determiner is optional between the two predicate nominalizations. However, this does not vary according to noun class but is always w- (for plural) and x- (for singular), the vowel in which indicates a proximal/distal distinction (-a being distal and -e proximal). The x-/w- determiner is a universal determiner, and not one that is noun-class specific. We encounter this in other contexts in which the noun class of the noun not deducible, such as in headless relative clauses. (This universal demonstrative is introduced in the section on Determiners and Demonstratives).

 obiy oleng ola/ole fel na xa/xe fodax na
 'the one fruit that is delicious that is sour'

 xabiy xadak axa/axe mbelna wa/xe mbodax na	
 ‘the two fruit that are delicious that are sour’

This suggests that na is a pronominal form that can take a determiner, and when it does, it takes a noun-class-indeterminate one.

In perfect and distant past tense forms, the na pronoun takes the allomorph shape -'iina (with a glottal stop):

 wiin wa magin 'iina
 'the people were big'

Go back to: Modification Strategies

Oana 03:39, 8 December 2012 (UTC)