Cover not available

In:Similative and Equative Constructions: A cross-linguistic perspective
Edited by Yvonne Treis and Martine Vanhove
[Typological Studies in Language 117] 2017
► pp. 387–418

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Chapter 15
Similarity and related functions in Libido

Published online: 31 May 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.117.16cra
Abstract
This article describes the expression of similarity and related functions in Libido, e.g. equality, role, accord, purpose, immediate anteriority, glottonyms, and the function of deictic manner morphemes. Almost all of these functions are expressed by one of two similative markers, ʔiso and k’aaʔla. For the majority of functions they can be used interchangeably. However, there are a few functions where ʔiso is used exclusively, e.g. in the derivation of glottonyms and the expression of immediate anteriority. The formal relation between several of these functions due to grammaticalisation processes is not at all unique and has been described for quite a number of languages worldwide. However, the broad range of functions associated with the similative morphemes of Libido seems to be less common in the languages of the world. In Ethiopia, however, this particular range of functions is attested for quite a number of languages. It probably spread out due to language contact and might be considered an Ethiopian areal feature. The article also presents the proximal manner deictic kidi ‘like this’ and its medial deictic counterpart hidi ‘like that’ and their functions. These manner deictics are used, among other things, for anaphoric and cataphoric reference, similar to the demonstrative determiners when combined with the similative morpheme ʔiso.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Cognate of the similative marker ʔiso in Hadiyya
  • 3.Functions related to the nominal origin of the Libido similative markers
    • 3.1The function of k’aaʔla as an independent noun
    • 3.2Nominal features of ʔiso
  • 4.Functions in which ʔiso and k’aaʔla are mostly used interchangeably
    • 4.1Similative phrases
    • 4.2Functions closely related to the expression of similarity
      • 4.2.1Equative phrases
      • 4.2.2Role phrases (Functives)
    • 4.3Adverbial clauses
      • 4.3.1Similarity
      • 4.3.2Comment/Accord
      • 4.3.3Pretence clauses (Simulation)
      • 4.3.4Equative clauses
    • 4.4Adverbialising adjectives
    • 4.5Complement clauses
    • 4.6Similative marker indicating indirect quotes
    • 4.7Purpose clauses
  • 5.Functions exclusive to the similative marker ʔiso
    • 5.1Glottonyms
    • 5.2Immediate anteriority
    • 5.3 Expressing a wish or a command
  • 6.The manner deictic kidi
  • 7.Summary
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
References (24)
References
Crass, Joachim. 2001. The position of K’abeena within Highland East Cushitic. Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere 67: 5–60.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. Das K’abeena. Deskriptive Grammatik einer hochlandostkuschitischen Sprache. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Crass, Joachim & Meyer, Ronny. 2008. Ethiopia. In A Linguistic Geography of Africa, Bernd Heine & Derek Nurse (eds), 228–250. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Crass, Joachim. 2014. The asymmetry of verbal markedness in Libido. In Explorations in Ethiopian Linguistics: Complex Predicates, Finiteness and Interrogativity, Ronny Meyer, Yvonne Treis & Azeb Amha (eds), 179–204. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Evans, Nicholas. 2007. Insubordination and its uses. In Finiteness: Theoretical and Empirical Foundations, Irina Nikolaeva (ed.), 366–431. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Güldemann, Tom. 2008. Quotative Indexes in African Languages: A Synchronic and Diachronic Survey. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Haspelmath, Martin & Buchholz, Oda. 1998. Equative and similative constructions in the languages of Europe. In Adverbial Constructions in the Languages of Europe, Johan van der Auwera (ed.), 277–334. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hettich, Bela G. 2002. Ossetian: Revisiting Inflectional Morphology. MA thesis, University of North Dakota.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hudson, Grover, 1976. Highland East Cushitic. In The Non-Semitic Languages of Ethiopia, M. Lionel Bender (ed.), 232–278. East Lansing MI: African Studies Center.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1981. The Highland East Cushitic family vine. Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika 3: 97–124.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1989. Highland East Cushitic Dictionary. Hamburg: Helmut Buske.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Job, Michael & Schäfer, Roland. 2006. Ossetic. In Encyclopedia of Languages and Linguistics, Vol. 10, Keith Brown (ed.), 109–115. Oxford: Elsevier. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kortmann, Bernd. 1997. Adverbial Subordination. A Typology and History of Adverbial Subordinators Based on European Languages. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Loeb-Diehl, Flora. 2005. The Typology of Manner Expressions. PhD dissertation, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Meyer, Ronny & Richter, Renate. 2003. Language Use in Ethiopia from a Network Perspective. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Noonan, Michael. 2007. Complementation. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol. II: Complex Constructions, Timothy Shopen (ed.), 52–150. Cambridge: CUP. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Perrett, Denise Lesley. 2000. The Dynamics of Tense Construal in Hadiyya. PhD dissertation, University of London.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schmidtke-Bode, Karsten. 2009. A Typology of Purpose Clauses. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sim, Ronald. 1988. The diachronic derivation of the verb in Northern Highland East Cushitic. In Cushitic – Omotic: Papers from the International Symposium on Cushitic and Omotic Languages, Cologne, January 6–9, 1986, Marianne Bechhaus-Gerst & Fritz Serzisko (eds), 433–452. Hamburg: Helmut Buske.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1989. Predicate Conjoining in Hadiyya. A Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar. PhD dissertation, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tadesse Sibamo. 2015. Documentation and Description of Hadiyya. PhD dissertation, Addis Ababa University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Taine-Cheikh, Catherine. 2004. De la grammaticalisation de ‘comme’ (comparative) en Arabe. In Approaches to Arabic Dialects. Collection of Articles Presented to Manfred Woidich on the Occasion of his Sixtieth Birthday, Martine Haak, Rudolf de Jong & Kees Versteegh (eds), 309–328. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Treis, Yvonne. 2010. Purpose-encoding strategies in Kambaata. Afrika und Übersee 91: 1–38.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Oleniak, Mariana
2022. On an idiosyncratic type of an Old English simile. Acta Linguistica Hafniensia 54:2 ► pp. 235 ff. DOI logo
Синицына, Юлия Вячеславовна
2021. POLYSEMY PATTERNS OF THE SIMILATIVE SUFFIX -LA IN HILL MARI. Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology :4(34) ► pp. 88 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 7 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue