ABSTRACT
This thesis explores the Verbal Group (VG) of Buli, a Gur language spoken in northern
Ghana, with focus on three main aspects: the morphology of the Buli verb, the
grammatical functions of Buli verbal particles, and the distribution of such verbal
particles in Serial Verb Constructions (SVCs). Having its underpinnings in Functional
Grammar (and skewed towards Functional Typological Syntax), a theory that views
language as a set of tools for communication, its data is drawn mainly from naturally
occurring spoken texts (spontaneous speech) which was recorded from a range of
communicative contexts in Buli-speaking communities. The oral data, which was taperecorded
from informal communication contexts and controlled formal interactions
(where necessary), was then transcribed for the analysis and description. These spoken
texts were supplemented by elicited data, as well as data based on my native speaker
intuition. The analysis is purely descriptive, with data drawn from other better-studied
Gur languages (e.g. Dagaare, GurunE, and Dagbani) in order to set the discussion in a
broader context. The findings show that although affixation is generally minimal in
Buli, a dichotomy can be drawn between dynamic and stative verbs on morphological
grounds; while the suffix {-i} is attached to the roots of most dynamic verbs, the suffix
{-a} is attached to the roots of most stative verbs. Also, the study reveals some Buli
verbal particles and discusses the grammatical functions that each of them performs.
The findings further indicate that, verbal particles generally manifest once (before the
first verb) within SVCs, and have scope over any other verb that follows. Also, a
mixture of some functional categories, specifically the progressive and the perfective
aspects, is permissible in Bul, and it is possible for the two morphological units of the
progressive marker bóràà (i.e. existential bóró and the aspectual marker à) to be split
between two serialized verbs in an SVC.
ADJONG, D (2021). A Morpho-Syntactic Study Of The Buli Verbal Group. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/a-morpho-syntactic-study-of-the-buli-verbal-group
ADJONG, DARIUS "A Morpho-Syntactic Study Of The Buli Verbal Group" Afribary. Afribary, 08 Apr. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/a-morpho-syntactic-study-of-the-buli-verbal-group. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
ADJONG, DARIUS . "A Morpho-Syntactic Study Of The Buli Verbal Group". Afribary, Afribary, 08 Apr. 2021. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/a-morpho-syntactic-study-of-the-buli-verbal-group >.
ADJONG, DARIUS . "A Morpho-Syntactic Study Of The Buli Verbal Group" Afribary (2021). Accessed December 25, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/a-morpho-syntactic-study-of-the-buli-verbal-group