The Semantic Values of AÐE and LA in Ewe

Abstract

Aɖe and la have multiple functions which are often realized by the position they occupy in various syntactic environments in Ewe, a Kwa language. Aɖe can function as an indefinite marker, a partitive marker or an indefinite pronoun. La can function as a definite marker, an agentive suffix, or a terminal particle. As a terminal particle, la occurs at the end of preposed adverbial phrases and nominal phrases, embedded relative clauses which are postposed to the nominal heads, and other dependent clauses in Ewe constructions. Using the Givenness Hierarchy, this study argues that regardless of the different syntactic environments in which these particles occur, each of them has a univocal value semantically: the use of aɖe and la encode the cognitive statuses ‘referential’ and ‘uniquely identifiable’ respectively in Ewe.

Keywords: Particles, Indefiniteness, Definiteness, Referential, Uniquely Identifiable