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 a progressive aspectl 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 (1) and (2):

<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 3-PROG rain-PROX-PROG \trans Its going to (start) raining </gl>

<gl id="hurtAboutTo" fontsize=12> axe ɗomiida \gll a-xe d\ɗom-iid-aa 3-PROG hurt-PROX-PROG \trans Its going to (start) hurting </gl>

Valence patterns and alignment

Intransitive Verbs

Sereer Examples of intransitive verbs include 'to die' and 'to sleep'

Copula-like clauses

Transitive Verbs

Direct object arguments follow verbs, as in ()

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

Ditransitive Verbs

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

<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>