Is the “BE compound tense” in Xhosa (Nguni) a Serial Verb Construction, or not?

Serial Verb Constructions in North-West Semitic languages: From a synchronic radiation back to the ‘Big Bang’

“…My model thus explains the categorial flexibility of a single construction and its transition across various categoriessuch fluidity typifies constructions exhibiting large semantic/functional potential and is also inevitable if a broad, typological perspective is adopted (i.e., when a large set of constructions of a certain type are studied). Drawing on the seminal works authored by Aikhenvald (2006;2018;forthcoming), as well as no less important studies presented by Muysken & Veenstra (1994), Crowley (2002), Dixon (2006), andBisang (2009), and complementing them with the results of my own research (Andrason 2018a;2018b;2019a;2019b;2019c;Andrason & Vita 2020;Andrason & Koo 2020), I view the prototype (or a canon) of an asymmetrical SVC as an integrated mixture of the non-cohesive and cohesive features. Additionally, I will draw on grammaticalization theory (Hopper & Traugott 2003).…”

“…Following my previous research on SVCs in North-West Semitic (Andrason & Vita 2020;Andrason & Koo 2020) and Indo-European languages (see Andrason 2018a;2018b;2019a), I will use a syncretic methodology that combines a semantic-map approach and an approach referred to as dynamization of typology with prototype theory and canonical typology.…”

“…Canaano-Akkadian is the oldest NWS language attested. It is dated from the 14 th c. BCE and emerges from approximately 280 letters -a part of the larger El-Amarna corpus composed of 382 letters (Rainey 2015) -that were written in the Mesopotamian cuneiform script and sent from Canaan to Egypt (Andrason & Vita 2020). 9 Strictly speaking, Canaano-Akkadian is a blended language -hybrid, mixed, jargon, and/or inter-language -that contains and combines both East and North-West Semitic components (Andrason & Vita 2014:165).…”

Grammaticalization in Fanakalo: simplification, complexification, and acceleration

“…Van Apart from the ILE and A grams, the resultative stream in Nguni hosts two other constructions: the BE-ILE and A-BA/YE-ILE grams. These two grams form part of a larger "compound" ILE (recent past) and A (remote past) series (see Andrason 2018). In all these constructions, the auxiliary ukuba 'be' or ukuya 'go' is inflected in the ILE (the BE-ILE gram) or the A gram (A-BA/YE-ILE), being followed by a participial form: a participial present, participial future, or, more relevant for this study, participial ILE (cf.…”

“…242), y in ye is the "semi-vocalized" form of b found in the auxiliary ukuba.14 There are other constructions that convey the ideas of perfect and past: bendisebenza 'I used to work, was working, has been working [recent]', ndandisebenza 'I used to work, was working [remote]', sele + as 'already'; khe/zange ever/never. They will not be studied in this paper (seeAndrason 2018).…”