Pronouns in Argobba

Abstract

This study focuses on the morphosyntactic properties pronouns in Argobba, an endangered Ethio-Semitic language. The data for this study is collected from Shonke, where the language is used widely and actively by elders and the young generation. The study found that the subject, interrogative and demonstrative pronouns are primitive whereas the possessive, object and reciprocal pronouns are derived. It is also argued that the derived pronouns are lexicalized in the present day Argobba. Reflexive meaning is expressed by the base dmah "head" and hms "soul" suffixing possessive pronouns. Likewise, reciprocity is expressed by reduplicating dɨmah and hɨms with the connector morpheme li.