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Samedi 28 août 2010 6 28 /08 /Août /2010 00:01

Explicative Dafa

FORMATION

[+/-Nominal Subject ] + Dafa [+/- object pronoun] [+/-di ] + verb [+/-nominal object]

USUAL FORM

	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1st pers.	dama	danu/ dañu
2nd pers.	danga	dangeen
3rd pers.	dafa	dañu



ELONGATED FORM

	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1st pers.	damaa	danoo/ dañoo
2nd pers.	dangaa	dangeena
3rd pers.	dafa/ daa	dañoo

1.	WITH STATIVE VERBS

	a.	Used to describe a state of being: character, color, weather, etc.
		Dafa tang. It is hot. Dafa dof. He is crazy.

	b.	Used to give the explicative or causal sense. Often both functions b) and c) are present together. Hence it often is the appropriate response to a particular situation or question.
		A asks B: 'Doo génn tey?' Aren't you going out today? B replies: 'Déedéet, dafa tang.' No, (because) it is hot. A greets B and remarks 'Tang na lool tey.' It is very hot today. Y asks X why he has stopped in the middle of his work. X replies: 'Dama sonn.' (Because) I am tired. X walks into the house and flops down in a chair 'Sonn naa lool.' I am very tired.

		For a small number of verbs dafa sometimes indicates a state which has always existed contrasting with the completive mode (na) which indicates a process which has been completed. However, often there is no distinction between dafa and na.
		Dafa gumba. He is blind (from birth). Gumba na. He is blind (has become blind).

	c.	Used to emphasize verb



2.	WITH ACTIVE VERBS

	a.	Used to emphasize verb.
		Damay liggéey. I am working (not playing) or What I am doing is working. This is proper form to use after the question: 'Looy def?'

	b.	Used to give the explicative or causal sense.

	c.	Used in conjunction with di to indicate an action practiced habitually in the present, including professions, an action happening at the time or in the near future.
		Damay xëy. I go to work (every day).



3.	USE WITH DI Di indicates the action is not yet accomplished. It appears as -y except after dangeen, where it appears as di. The absence of di indicates an event which has been completed or a present state.

	a.	When used with active verbs can indicate: - an action in process of occurring - an action just about to occur - an action occurring habitually
		Damay dem. I am in the process of leaving./ I will leave./ I am in a habit of leaving. Only context enables one to distinguish between the three. Note that dinay dem can only indicate a habitual action.


	b.	When used without a verb, indicates to be with an explicative value.
		Damay tuurist. It is that I am a tourist. (explication of something) Tuurist laa. I am a tourist. (statement).



4.	ELONGATED FORM

		The elongated form is created by the addition of the suffix -a, which is a variant of di and indicates the action is not accomplished. If there is a pronoun object between the pronoun subject and the main verb, then the -a is added to the object pronoun which elongates. When dafa appears directly before an active verb, the elongated form above is used.
		Damay liggéey. I am working.



5.	CONTRACTIONS

		dafay may be contracted to day or daf di (day used but not daf di in Mbane)
		Dafay nelaw. He is sleeping.
	=	Day nelaw. It's because he is sleeping.
	=	Daf di nelaw. He sleeps habitually.

		dañuy may be contracted to dañ (not used in Mbane).



6.	In rapid speech, when followed by object pronouns, the following contractions may occur (used in Mbane):

	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1st pers.	dam	dan
2nd pers.	dan
3rd pers.	daf	dañ

		Dam ko def. (Dama ko def.) Dan ko def. (Danga ko def.)



7.	NEGATIVE

	a.	Negative of verb if accomplished.
		Dama jàngul. It's because I haven't studied.

	b.	Negative of di if unaccomplished.
		Dama dul jàng. It's because I am not studying.

Peace Corps Course

J'apprends le wolof

Baptist Course

PhD Thesis of Eric Church

Notes on Wolof Grammar (Stewart)

Initiation à la Grammaire Wolof (Samb)

Grammaire Wolof (Dial)

Xam sa làkk.

Richard Shawyer

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Samedi 7 août 2010 6 07 /08 /Août /2010 00:01

Imperative

FORMATION

Singular	Verb +	-al (if verb ends in consonant: waxal) [+/- object pronouns]
	Verb +	-l (if verb end in i, u or a long vowel: noppil)
	Verb +	-vowel + -l (if verb ends in any other vowel booleel)
	Verb +	-wal (if verbis monosyllabic ending in a vowel jiwal)

Plural	Verb +	-leen (waxleen, noppileen, booleleen) [+/- object pronouns]

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Mardi 3 août 2010 2 03 /08 /Août /2010 00:01

General Comments on the Wolof Verb

1.	Often it is only the context (verbal pronouns or articles) which permits one to distinguish between a verb and a noun. The word liggéey could be a verb or a noun. . Damay liggéey. I am working. . Liggéey bi metti la. The work is hard.

2.	The Wolof verbal system is more concerned with aspect than time. Even if one can distinguish the past, present or future, the verbal structures work around completed or uncompleted actions. It reveals whether an action is momentaneous or habitual; at its start or at its end; single or multiple; recent or far away; accomplished or unaccomplished.

3.	There are three voices in Wolof: active, semi-active, passive.
	a. The passive and semi-active are formed by adding the suffix -u. . Aali tëj na bunt ba. Ali closed the door. . Bunt bi tëju na. The door is closed. . Aali gaañu na. Ali is injured.
	b. The passive can also be formed by using the 3rd person plural form with an active form. In this case it indicates the equivalent of the English structure 'one...' . Ñoo ngi may gis. One has seen me. // I have been seen
	c. The passive can also be indicated by the structure -ees/-eef.

See Samb p 109-113 for more details.

Richard Shawyer

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Samedi 24 juillet 2010 6 24 /07 /Juil /2010 00:01

Stative vs. Active Verbs

Wolof does not have adjectives and few adverbs of manner. Instead, verbs and verb phrases are used to modify nouns and verbs. Thus, there are two kinds of verbs in Wolof:

. Active verbs are those which indicate an action or process. lekk to eat

. Stative verbs are usually verbs which indicate being in a particular state or static condition: baax to be good

A small number of verbs can take either sense depending on the context. In the case where a verb carries both an active and a passive sense, the di indicates the active incomplete sense.

toog:	to sit down (active) / to be seated (stative)

	Mu ngi toog. He is sitting down.
	Mu ngiy toog. He is in the process of sitting down.

	Maa ngi toog. I am seated.
	Maa ngiy toog. I am in the process of sitting down.

The difference in meaning can sometimes be subtle. For instance, xalaat means to think about, ponder, an active process of an active verb. Whereas foog means to think, or believe, a state of being of a stative verb.

One of the most concrete differences between these two kinds of Wolof verbs has to do with the use of the presentative -angi. Active verbs can be modified by -angi, while stative verbs ordinary cannot. This provides the quickest way to tell where a Wolof verb is active or stative: simply ask a native speaker whether one can say Mu ngi x. where x is the verb in question.

Peace Corps Course: pp 39, 49

J'apprends le wolof: pp 213, 215

PhD Thesis of Eric Church: pp 26

Notes on Grammar Wolof (Stewart) pp 4-6

Grammaire wolof: pp 33

Richard Shawyer

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Mardi 20 juillet 2010 2 20 /07 /Juil /2010 00:01

Comparison

TO EXPRESS EQUALITY

a) Subject emphasis pronoun + certain stative verb such as tolloo, maase, niroo, etc.
John ag Nancy ñoo tolloo. John and Nancy, they are the same height.
Sama rakk ag sa mag ñoo maase. My younger brother and your older brother have the same age.
Ndakaaru ag Abijan ñoo tolloo rafetaay. Dakar and Abidjan are the same in beauty.


b) benn + object predicator
Téere yi benn lañu. These books are one/ are the same.
Bii ag bale benn lañu. This one and that one are the same.


c) Use of the following words: ni like / mel similar to / mel ni equal to, the same as / saamandaay to resemble
Dafa tàng ni safara. It is hot as a fire.
Dàn saamandaay jant. As evident as the sun.


d) Verbal suffix -e attached to a stative verb followed by ni
Dafa baaxe ni Moodu. He is as good as Modou.
Dañoo nemee ni gaynde. They are as brave as a lion.

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1 2 3 suivant

	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1st pers.	buma [+/- obj. pronoun] + verb	bunu/buñu [+/- obj. pronoun] + verb
2nd pers.	bu(l) [+/- obj. pronoun] + verb	buleen [+/- obj. pronoun] + verb
3rd pers.	bumu + verb bu + [+/- obj. pronoun] + subject + verb	buñu [+/- obj. pronoun] + verb:

a)	Subject emphasis pronoun + gëna (to be more) + verb
	Justine moo gëna njool Pat. Justine is taller than Pat.
	Tool yi ñoo gëna yaatu tool yii. These fields are wider than these fields.
	Man, maa ko gëna gàtt. I am shorter than he.
	Yow, yaa ma gëna rafet oto. (Lit. You are more beautiful than me in cars.) Your car is more beautiful than mine.
	Yow, yaa ma gëna rafetle. Yours is more beautiful than mine. Rafet + suffix -le: the pronominal substitute indicating a thing that is beautiful.


b)	Subject emphasis pronoun (+/object pronoun) + ëpp to have more + noun (+/nominal object)
	Kumba moo ëpp xel Awa. Coumba is smarter (has more brains) than Awa.
	Yow, yaa ëpp wërsëg Musaa. You have more luck than Moussa.
	Maa la ëpp xaalis. I have more money than you.
	Yeen ñu ëpp ay xarit. You have more friends than them.
	Yaa ma ëpp ay lam. You have more bracelets than me.
	Yaa ma ëpple. You have more (of it) than me.

	When one wishes to express 'more of some quality than' the structure is 'A ëpp quality B'.
	When one wishes to express 'more (in quantity) things than' the structure is ' A ëpp ay things B'
	When B is reduced to a pronoun it precedes the verb ëpp
	The verbal suffix -le has the value of a pronominal substitute: ëpple (more of it)


c)	Subject emphasis pronoun + dàqa (to be better) (+/ verb (active verbs only) (+/nominal object)
	Seex moo dàqa liggéey Bala. Cheikh works better than Bala.
	NOTE: dàqa can be used without a principal verb in which case the meaning depends on context.
	Abi moo dàq Ana. Abi is prettier than Ana.
	Ceebu jën moo dàq maafe. Ceebu jën is tastier than mafe.
	Senegal moo dàq Amerik. Senegal is better than America.


d)	Use of the verb tane (better than)
	tane means better but is not used in the same way dàq is. It is the opposite of yées and indicates a general superiority. tane is used in the existence of some negative aspect of a description.
	Siis bii baaxul, siis bii itam baaxul, wànte bii moo tane bii.

a)	Subject + negative of stative verb (suffix -ul) + ni + nominal object
	Penda rafetul ni Aminata. Penda is not as beautiful as Aminata.
	Kawlax tàngul ni Tambaa. Kaolack is not as hot as Tambacounda.


b)	Verbal suffix -e attached to a stative verb followed by the negative suffix -wul then followed by ni.
	Aali sewewul ni man. Ali is not as skinny as me.
	Faatu rafetewul ni Penda. Fatou is not as beautiful as Penda.


c)	Verb day (to be equal to) with negative suffix -ul followed by ni.
	Baaxaayam dayul ni fitam. He is not as good as he is courageous.


d)	Subject emphasis pronoun + gëna (to be more) + diminutive verb
	NOTE: Inferiority may be expressed with this structure, but the Wolof are more likely to make a positive comparison than a negative. That is they are more likely to say Penda is more beautiful than Awa rather than Awa is uglier than Penda. 'Less than' does not exist in Wolof. Thus the Wolof would say This house is prettier than that house not This house is less pretty than that house.
	Bii moo gën tuuti boobu. This is smaller than that one.


e)	yées (worse than)
	Yoon wo moo yées. This road is worse.

a)	wuute (to be different)
	Bii ag bale wuute nañu. This one and that one are different.


b)	duñu benn (not the same one)
	Senegal ag Amerik duñu benn. Senegal and America are not the same.


c)	bokkuñu (do not share)
	Ñoom ñaar bokkuñu. Those two are not related/ not the same.

a)	Use of structures with gën or dàq plus ci
	Omar moo dàqa bind ci xale yi. Omar is he who writes the best from among the children.
	Xale yépp, Duudu moo ci gëna baax. Of all the children, Doudou is the best.
	Xale yi Omar moo ci dàqa bind. Of the children it is Omar who writes the best.
	Omar moo dàqa bind ci Mbane. It is Omar who is the best writer in Mbane.
	Moo fi dàqa bind. He is the best writer here.


b)	Class marker or relative pronoun plus gën
	Duudu moo xale bu gën. Doudou is the best child.
	Gis naa taybass bu gëna xonq. I saw the most red blouse (?).

EN grammar

Explicative Dafa

Imperative

General Comments on the Wolof Verb

Stative vs. Active Verbs

Comparison

Recherche

Tout neuf ou presque

J'essaie de ranger

La Petite Librairie

Partir ailleurs

Syndication

Le sens du partage

1.		When the imperative singular is followed by an object pronoun, the mark -al/-l is dropped. The plural form does not change when followed by a pronoun. Nuyul! Greet! Nuyu ma! // Nuyuleen ma! Greet me!


2.		The suffix -al also can have the meaning 'to do for someone else'. Nuyul ma ko! Greet him for me! Nuyu ma! Greet me!


3.		When two commands are given one after another, only the first one takes the imperative suffix. Demal toog! Go and sit down! Toogal te noppi! Sit down and be quiet!


4.		In a series of commands numbering greater than two verbs, the third verb will often be in the form of the minimum verb construction. Ñëwal, toog te nga wax ak man! Come, sit and talk with me!


5.		EXCEPTIONS TO RULE! Kaay! Come here! Am! Here, have this! Indi! Bring!


6.		The imperative also exists in a continuous form with di giving the sense of a commandment which one is to do continuously or habitually. In this case an object pronoun precedes the main verb, and the l of deel is dropped: deel / deeleen / dee [+/- object pronoun] + verb Affirmative : Deel jàng / Deeleen jàng Negative: Bul di jàng / Buleen di jàng Deeleen ñaan ci xeeti ñaan yépp ci kàttanu Xel mu Sell mi (Eph 6:18) Dee ko jox buy. Have the habit of giving him monkey bread. The optative form (na nga dem) is also a form of imperative, as is the negative interrogative (doo dem?). All these imperative forms only have one negative form: bul


7.		NEGATIVE
		2nd person singular is formed by bul [+/- object pronoun] + verb: Bul wax! Don't speak The l of bul is dropped before a pronoun object, fi or ci: Bu ko wax! Don't say it! 2nd person plural is formed by buleen [+/- object pronoun] + verb: Buleen wax! Don't speak!

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