Serial verb constructions in Gonja

Abstract

This research investigates serial verb constrictions in Gonja, one of the Guan languages spoken in the Savanna Region of Ghana, from the language family called Kwa. The phenomenon of serial verb constructions has not received any serious attention in the Gonja language. This thesis therefore aims to filling in the gap in the literature by looking at the types and the general features of serial verb constructions in Gonja. The research is purely a descriptive one. Primary and secondary data were used for the analysis. The primary data were collected from ten native speakers of Gonja at both Bole and Ajumako and the secondary data from books, The research identified clause chaining serial verb construction (CCSVC) and integrated serial verb construction (ISVC) as the types in Gonja. Subject sharing exists in clause chaining serial verb construction, whereas object sharing exist in integrated serial verb constructions. All verbs in the serial construction must share one and the same subject, Tense is marked on the first verb, but aspect marking may vary among verbs. However, when the verb is marked in the habitual and the perfective, aspect and polarity are marked only on first verb. Finally, the investigation found out that the benefactive, locative, manner, instrumental, motion, durational, consequential, accompaniment and comparative as the functional types of serial verb constructions in Gonja as in other languagess.