| Abstract: | On syntactic and semantic grounds, three different sub-types of the Igbo -rV suffix are identified - the -rV time suffix, expressing the past; the stative -rV suffix, signifying the present; and the so-called -rV benefactive,'a set of non-time, non-inflectional or lexical suffixes, generally expressing a prepositional meaning. These three types of suffix are not mutually exclusive, they do co-occur given the appropriate context. Moreover, the -rV time suffix is never optional in expressing past time in the Central dialects. Even in the Onica group of dialects, examples often cited in support of the claim that -lU (the Onica equivalent of -rV time) is optional are very misleading. Evidence from the phonology of Igbo is adduced to show that there is a reflex of the -lU suffix in those contexts where it is thought to be optional. Notes, refs., French abstract. |
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