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 single determiner, a prepositional phrase, a relative clause, and a possessive NP. These components are ordered as follows:

1) Verb
2) Adverb
3) Noun Phrase
4) Prepositional Phrase

Auxilliaries

There exists an auxiliary verb xan 'future', or special preverbal morph kan (which marks predicate focus). Both are preverbal to the main verb, as in (1) and (2)

<gl id="willcook" fontsize=12> xam jaw \gll xan-am jaw FUT-1sg cook \trans I will cook </gl>

<gl id="drumming" fontsize=12> kam fakaa \gll kan-am fak-aa Prev-1sg drum-PROG \trans I am drumming </gl>

There exists a progressive aspect auxiliary in Sereer, and as an auxiliary, is distinct from verbs that express the main verbal content of the clause. Inflected for subject, this auxiliary -xe features characteristic semantic emptiness, expressing only progressive aspect, as shown in (3) - (5):

<gl id="workAboutTo" fontsize=12> mexe jalaa \gll me-xe jal-aa 1sg-PROG rain-PROG \trans I am working </gl>

<gl id="RainAboutTo" fontsize=12> axe deɓiidaa \gll a-xe deɓ-iid-aa 3sg-PROG rain-PROX-PROG \trans It's going to (start) raining </gl>

<gl id="hurtAboutTo" fontsize=12> axe ɗomiida \gll a-xe ɗom-iid-aa 3sg-PROG hurt-PROX-PROG \trans It's going to (start) hurting </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 headmarking 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 fem.name ol-e \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 ol-e \trans Miñaan gave the letter (to) Yande </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 be.quick-DEV \trans I go quickly </gl>

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

See adverbs [[3]]