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Grammaticalization and subjectiication in the semantic domain of possibility in Kirundi (Bantu, JD62)

par Bostoen, Koen ;Mberamihigo, Ferdinand ;De Schryver, Gilles-Maurice
Référence Annalen - Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika. Menselijke wetenschappen, 18, page (5-40)
Publication Publié, 2012

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

This article is a irst systematic study of the expression of possibility in Kirundi, more speciically of its verbal markers. Possibility is traditionally seen as one of the core components of the semantic domain of modality. The onomasiological approach of this modal sub-domain has resulted in the identiication of four verbal potential markers, i.e., the auxiliaries -bâsh- and -shóbor-, the semi-auxiliary -shóbok-, and the TAM afix ∞. These four markers of possibility manifest different degrees of grammaticalization along the full verb > auxiliary > afix cline. Grammaticalization in the structural domain seems to be correlated with semantic change, both within and beyond the semantic domain of possibility. The related verbs -shóbor- and -shóbok-, which have no or little remaining lexical uses, cover the entire semantic domain of possibility in contrast to -bâsh- which has still clearly distinct lexical uses ('to be active, to be healthy') and only conveys participant-inherent possibility. The inlectional afix ∞, covering the entire domain of possibility and having developed other modal and non-modal meanings, manifests the most advanced semantic generalization. Moreover, ∞ underwent the strongest subjectiication within the semantic domain of possibility and even developed different intersubjective uses. Hence, the most grammaticalized marker of possibility in Kirundi not only underwent the strongest semantic generalization, but its meaning is also the most (inter) subjectiied.