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Article published In: Studies in Language
Vol. 48:4 (2024) ► pp.781–812

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Sequentiality

A novel use of the perfect in Gã

ORCiD logo with link | University of Ghana
Published online: 30 January 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.23044.cam
Abstract
This paper examines a hitherto unreported use of the Gã Perfect gram termed the ‘sequential perfect’. The sequential perfect represents a late stage of grammaticalization as it no longer conveys any aspectual information on its own, instead deriving its semantics from verbal categories in the prior discourse. It is primarily modal, being used for irrealis, habitual and iterative situations. It occurs in the non-initial clause of multiclausal constructions and signals that the event it marks is temporally posterior to another event. It also imparts the epistemic modal meanings of inevitability and certainty. I propose that these newer functions are developed from the core semantic components of change-of-state and completion. This involves grammaticalization via domain extension, where change-of-state within an event is extended to change between events. The investigation introduces a new pathway for grammaticalization of the perfect, which has implications for studies of the perfect and grammaticalization generally.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Language background and data
  • 2.The perfect as a cross-linguistic grammatical category
    • 2.1The perfect in Gã
      • 2.1.1Perfect of result/Current relevance perfect
      • 2.1.2Resultative perfect
      • 2.1.3Perfect of recent past (Hot news perfect)
      • 2.1.4Perfect of persistent situation (Universal perfect, Continuative perfect)
      • 2.1.5Experiential perfect
      • 2.1.6Inchoative perfect
  • 3.The sequential perfect in Gã
    • 3.1Habitual readings
    • 3.2Iterative readings
    • 3.3Irrealis readings
    • 3.4The role of the coordinating conjunctions kɛ̀kɛ̀ and bɛ̀
    • 3.5Non-specificity and the sequential perfect
    • 3.6Negating the sequential perfect
  • 4.A multi-categorial perfect
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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