Complementizer, Verb, or Both? Kriyol Kuma

So-called "pseudo-complementizers," i.e., complementizers that are homophonous with a verb meaning 'say', are a widespread feature among creole (and some noncreole) languages. Kriyol kuma belongs to this category. The homophony thesis is criticized, and it is argued that kuma is a verb in all of its uses. When in a Comp-like position, it is analyzed as a gerund in an intermediate clause that is a matrix for the lowest clause. Because of its lexical specifications (strict intransitivity), kuma must move into its own Comp whenever the lowest clause is selected and has to be 0-marked by the verb of the highest clause. A structure results that is superficially indistinguishable from an ordinary embedding configuration.