Verb Phrases

Verb phrases (VP's) in Sereer consist of a verb optionally modified by any or all of the following components: any number of adverbs, a noun phrase, or a prepositional phrase. These components are ordered as follows:

1) Verb
2) Adverb / Noun Phrase / Prepositional Phrase

Auxilliaries

There is a limited system of auxliaries in Sereer. The auxiliaries are xe, a marker of stage-level predicates, fat, which indicates obligation, xan, a future auxiliary,bar, the prohibitive, and kaa, which indicates verum focus. Each of the auxiliaries is structurally similar, in that they appear before the verb, but after an overt NP subject. Examples of each of the auxiliaries are given in <glr id="xe.sleep"/>-<glr id="bar.go"/>. The morphological characteristics of the auxiliaries are discussed in Inflectional Verbal Morphology.

<gl id="xe.sleep" fontsize=12> axe ɗaanaa \gll a= xe ɗaan -aa 3= AUX sleep -PROG \trans He is sleeping. (310b) </gl>

<gl id="fat.sleep" fontsize=12> fat iƭaan \gll fat i= ƭaan OBLIG 1PL= sleep.PL \trans We must sleep. (310b) </gl>

<gl id="xan.sleep" fontsize=12> xan oɗaan \gll xan o= ɗaan FUT 2S= sleep \trans You will sleep. (310b) </gl>

<gl id="bar.go" fontsize=12> bar nundet \gll bar nu= ndet PROHIB 2PL= go.PL \trans Don't go! (310b) </gl>

Modal information is not expressed through auxiliaries, but instead through main verbs that appear to carry full verbal inflection.

Valence patterns and alignment

In basic word order, Sereer is a nominative-accusative language whereby the subject of the transitive verb [A] patterns syntactically with the subject of intransitive verbs [S] by appearing before the verb and/or auxilliary, whereby the direct object of a transitive verb [O] appears following the verb and/or auxiliary.

Intransitive Verbs

Sereer is a head marking language, with subject agreement on verbs. Subjects make be overtly realized preverbally as in (6), or omitted and expressed with subject agreement on auxilliaries and/or verbs (7) and (8):

<gl id="deadman" fontsize=12> okoor oxe axona \gll okoor ox-e a-xon-a man DET-DEF 3sg-be.dead-NPT \trans The man is dead </gl>

<gl id="man sleeping" fontsize=12> i-ƭaanaa \gll i-ƭaan-aa 3sg-sleep-PROG \trans We sleep </gl>

<gl id="man sleeping" fontsize=12> inwe ƭaanaa \gll i-nwe ƭaan-aa 3sg-PROG sleep-PROG \trans We are sleeping </gl>

Transitive Verbs

Direct object arguments follow verbs, as in (9):

<gl id="JegCow" fontsize=12> Jegan afala naak le \gll Jegan a-fal-a naak le masc.name 3-kick-3. cow DET \trans Jegan kicks the cow </gl>

Direct objects may be overtly realized, or omitted, as in (10) and (11):

<gl id="laketurtleyes fontsize=12> ambeel ale dasna xomb le \gll ambeel ale a-das-in-a turtle DET lake DEM 3-hide-CAUS-3 \trans </gl>

<gl id="JegCow" fontsize=12> ambeel ale dasna \gll ambeel ale a-das-in-a lake DEM 3-hide-CAUS-3 \trans The lake conceals it. </gl>

If a direct object is raised, and appears preverbally, the verb is marked with -u for focus. See Focus Fronting and Extraction [1]

Ditransitive Verbs

Direct object and oblique arguments follow verbs, and there are no restrictions on the ordering of these arguments, as shown in (10) and (11):

<gl id="YandeLetter" fontsize=12> Miñaan acooɗa (a) Yande oleetar ole \gll Miñaan a-cooɗ-a (a) Yande oleetar ol-e masc.name 3sg-give-3sg OBJ fem.name DET \trans Miñaan gave Yande the letter </gl>

<gl id="LetterYande" fontsize=12> Miñaan acooɗa oleetar ole (a) Yande \gll Miñaan a-cooɗ-a oleetar ol-e (a) Yande masc.name 3sg-give-3sg fem.name DET \trans Miñaan gave the letter (to) Yande </gl>

For applicative arguments, the same lack of restrictions apply, as shown by (12) and (13):

<gl id="CowDoc" fontsize=12> Jegan afalana naak le a doktoor fe \gll Jegan a-fal-an-a naak le a doktoor fe masc.name 3-kick-BEN.APPL-3 cow DET OBJ doctor DET \trans Jegan kicked the cow for the doctor. </gl>

<gl id="DocCow" fontsize=12> Jegan afalana a doktoor fe naak le \gll Jegan a-fal-an-a a doktoor fe naak le masc.name 3-kick-BEN.APPL-3 OBJ doctor DET cow DET \trans Jegan kicked for the doctor the cow </gl>

If an oblique is raised, and appears preverbally, the verb is marked with -u for focus. See Focus Fronting and Extraction [2]

Adverbials and Other Modifiers

Adverbs

The position of adverbials is as flexible in Sereer as in English, as examples (1) and (2) show:

<gl id="ex1" fontsize=12> nangam weʄa legleg \gll nang -am weʄ -a legleg habitual 1sg swim INF sometimes \trans I swim often. </gl>

<gl id="ex2" fontsize=12> legleg nangam weʄa \gll legleg nang -am weʄ -a sometimes habitual 1sg swim INF \trans Often I swim. </gl>

Adverbs themselves appear to be verbs used in serial verb constructions, or appearing with deverbalizer -u as in (3) and (4):

<gl id="ex3" fontsize=12> retaam ñofu \gll ret-a-am ñof-u go-NPST-1sg be.quick-DEV \trans I go quickly </gl>

<gl id="ex4" fontsize=12> ñofaam oret \gll ñof-a-um o-ret be.quick-NPST-1sg AGR-go \trans I hurry (up) and go. </gl>

See adverbs [[3]]

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases appear after the verb :

<gl id="RopeOn" fontsize=12> axuuma oƥaak tok asondeel ale \gll a-xuum-a oƥaak tok asondeel ale 3-tie-3 rope on candle DET \trans He ties a rope on the candle </gl>

<gl id="glasses" fontsize=12> ga'am okoor oxe kam ower ole \gll ga'-am okoor oxe kam ower ole see-1sg man DET inside glass the \trans I see the man inside the glass </gl>

See "Adpositions" [4]

It appears prepositions are optionally expressed;however, If an argument introduced by a prepositional phrase is raised, and appears preverbally, the verb is marked with -u for focus. See Focus Fronting and Extraction [[5]]

<gl id="glasses" fontsize=12> ofiloor ole abeera (kam) oxiiƈ ole \gll ofiloor ole a-beer-a (kam) oxiiƈ ole bullet DET 3-go.by-3 (inside) bone DET \trans The bullet went (through) the bone </gl>

<gl id="glasses" fontsize=12> kam oxiiƈ ole ofiloor ole ɓeeru \gll kam oxiiƈ ole ofiloor ole ɓeer-u inside bone DET bullet DET go.by-FOC \trans Through the bone the bullet went. </gl>

Serialization

Sereer features serial verb constructions, with verbs taking similar inflection across verb forms, contrary to some forms of subordination and coordination.

Coordination between verb phrases consists of serial verbs: <gl id="SitandWork" fontsize=12> nuumofa njala \gll nuun-mof-a n-jal-a 3pl-sit-NPST 3pl-work-NPST \trans You guys sit and work </gl>

Modal verbs war 'must, might, should' and wag 'be able' take full inflection and are followed by a non-finite verb form:

<gl id="canCook" fontsize=12> wagaam (o)jaw \gll wag-a-um (o)jaw be.able-NPST-1sg AGREE-cook \trans I can cook. </gl>

<gl id="ShouldCook" fontsize=12> waraam (o)jaw \gll war-a-um (o)jaw modal-NPST-1sg AGREE-cook \trans I must cook. </gl>

<gl id="MightCook" fontsize=12> xam wara (o)jaw \gll xan-am war-a (o)jaw FUT-1sg modal-NPST AGREE-cook \trans I might cook. </gl>