Krongo
Gender table
| gloss | layer | m/m sg | f/m sg | n/m sg | n/f sg | n/n sg | n/pl sg | f/pl sg | m/pl sg | m/m pl | f/m pl | n/m pl | n/f pl | n/n pl | n/pl pl | f/pl pl | m/pl pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| verbal | lexeme | ||||||||||||||||
| demonstrative | lexeme | ||||||||||||||||
| verbal | prefix 1 | zero | m | n | n | n | n | m | zero | zero | zero | zero | m | n | k | k | k |
| demonstrative | prefix 2 | y | m | n | n | n | n | m | y | y | y | y | m | n | y | y | y |
Nouns table
| gloss | layer | gender | sg | pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bed | prefix | n/m | tin | A |
| field | prefix | n/m | zero | A |
| earthworm | lexeme | n/m | càdyàanù | àdyàanù |
| drum | lexeme | m/m | fànbàŋ | ànbàŋ |
| field | suffix | n/m | zero | Ani |
| morning | suffix | n/pl | zero | Ani |
| field | lexeme | n/m | sɪ́kà | àsɪ́kàání |
| cheek | lexeme | n/pl | tìcàarɪ̀ | càarɪ̀ |
| adult | prefix | m/pl | n | k |
| fish | prefix | f/pl | mItV | k |
| pig | prefix | f/pl | b | k |
| stone | prefix | f/pl | m | k |
| thief (female) | lexeme | f/pl | màcàmàlìŋ | kàmàlìŋ |
| thief (male) | lexeme | m/pl | càmàlìŋ | kàmàlìŋ |
| adult | lexeme | m/pl | níicì | kíicì |
| fish | lexeme | f/pl | mìtílòokù | kìlòokù |
| stone | lexeme | f/pl | mìsì | kìsì |
| dry cow dung | lexeme | f/pl | mètékóofó | kóofó |
| pig | lexeme | f/pl | bòtùrù | kòtùrù |
| fingernail | lexeme | f/pl | mòtóyóoyò | kòyóoyò |
| fingernail | prefix | f/pl | mAtV | kV |
| thief (female) | prefix | f/pl | macA | kV |
| thief (male) | prefix | m/pl | cA | kV |
| snail | lexeme | f/pl | mòtókwóoyá | kwóoyákwóoyá |
| wife | prefix | f/pl | zero | n |
| basket | prefix | m/pl | zero | nA |
| buffalo | prefix | m/pl | zero | nA |
| buffalo | lexeme | m/pl | lé | náálé |
| basket | lexeme | m/pl | sàrí | náásàrí |
| morning | lexeme | n/pl | ùusòcìicì | nàkúusòcìicì |
| morning | prefix | n/pl | zero | nAkV |
| wife | lexeme | f/pl | àyàacì | náyàacì |
| breast | suffix | n/pl | zero | nI |
| spring | prefix | m/pl | zero | nI |
| sheep | lexeme | f/pl | ʈàfàlì | nìkáʈàfàlì |
| millstone | lexeme | f/pl | mɪ̀ɲà | níkɪ̀kkɪ̀ɲà |
| buttocks | lexeme | n/pl | tìmòoròŋ | nìkómòoròŋ |
| breast | lexeme | n/pl | ró | nìkóróóní |
| breast | prefix | n/pl | zero | nIkV |
| buttocks | prefix | n/pl | tin | nIkV |
| sheep | prefix | f/pl | zero | nIkV |
| millstone | prefix | f/pl | m | niKVkk |
| spring | lexeme | m/pl | sùlù | nísùlù |
| bed | lexeme | n/m | tìnkìryá | òkìryá |
| stick | lexeme | f/m | bòoló | òoló |
| adult | suffix | m/pl | zero | zero |
| basket | suffix | m/pl | zero | zero |
| bed | suffix | n/m | zero | zero |
| buffalo | suffix | m/pl | zero | zero |
| buttocks | suffix | n/pl | zero | zero |
| cheek | prefix | n/pl | tin | zero |
| cheek | suffix | n/pl | zero | zero |
| drum | prefix | m/m | f | zero |
| drum | suffix | m/m | zero | zero |
| dry cow dung | prefix | f/pl | mItV | zero |
| dry cow dung | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| earthworm | prefix | n/m | c | zero |
| earthworm | suffix | n/m | zero | zero |
| fingernail | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| fish | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| millstone | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| morning | suffix | n/pl | zero | zero |
| pig | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| sheep | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| snail | prefix | f/pl | mAtV | zero |
| snail | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| spring | suffix | m/pl | zero | zero |
| stick | prefix | f/m | b | zero |
| stick | suffix | f/m | zero | zero |
| stone | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| thief (female) | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
| thief (male) | suffix | m/pl | zero | zero |
| wife | suffix | f/pl | zero | zero |
Verbs table
| gloss | layer | stem phonology | semantics | imp sg | imp pl | impfv 1 | impfv 2 | impfv 3 m | impfv 3 f | impfv 3 n | impfv pl | pfv 1 | pfv 2 | pfv 3 m | pfv 3 f | pfv 3 n | pfv pl | pret 1 | pret 2 | pret 3 m | pret 3 f | pret 3 n | pret pl | inf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| come | lexeme | light onset | punctual | dìyà | àadìyà | nádìyà | nádìyà | ádìyà | mádìyà | nádìyà | kádìyà | nàdìyà | nàdìyà | àdìyà | màdìyà | nàdìyà | kàdìyà | náádìyà | náádìyà | áádìyà | máádìyà | náádìyà | káádìyà | àdìyà |
| dance | lexeme | light onset | durative | àbálà | àabálà | nábálà | nábálà | ábálà | mábálà | nábálà | kábálà | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | náábálà | náábálà | áábálà | máábálà | náábálà | káábálà | àbálà |
| dry | lexeme | heavy onset | punctual | áakʊ̀bɪ́ | àakáakʊ̀bɪ́ | náakʊ̀bɪ́ | náakʊ̀bɪ́ | áakʊ̀bɪ́ | máakʊ̀bɪ́ | náakʊ̀bɪ́ | káakʊ̀bɪ́ | nàakʊ̀bɪ́ | nàakʊ̀bɪ́ | àakʊ̀bɪ́ | màakʊ̀bɪ́ | nàakʊ̀bɪ́ | kàakʊ̀bɪ́ | nákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | nákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | ákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | mákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | nákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | kákáakʊ̀bɪ́ | táakʊ̀bɪ́ |
| touch | lexeme | heavy onset | durative | àanàanì | àakàanàanì | náanàanì | náanàanì | áanàanì | máanàanì | náanàanì | káanàanì | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | nákàanàanì | nákàanàanì | ákàanàanì | mákàanàanì | nákàanàanì | kákàanàanì | tàanàanì |
| come | prefix | light onset | punctual | truncate | AA | n | n | zero | m | n | k | n | n | zero | m | n | k | nA | nA | A | mA | nA | kA | zero |
| dance | prefix | light onset | durative | zero | AA | n | n | zero | m | n | k | n | n | zero | m | n | k | nA | nA | A | mA | nA | kA | zero |
| dry | prefix | heavy onset | punctual | zero | AAk | n | n | zero | m | n | k | n | n | zero | m | n | k | nAk | nAk | Ak | mAk | nAk | kAk | t |
| touch | prefix | heavy onset | durative | zero | AAk | n | n | zero | m | n | k | n | n | zero | m | n | k | nAk | nAk | Ak | mAk | nAk | kAk | t |
| come | stem-initial tone | light onset | punctual | zero | L | H | H | H | H | H | H | L | L | L | L | L | L | H | H | H | H | H | H | L |
| dance | stem-initial tone | light onset | durative | L | L | H | H | H | H | H | H | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | H | H | H | H | H | H | L |
| dry | stem-initial tone | heavy onset | punctual | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | L | L | L | L | L | L | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
| touch | stem-initial tone | heavy onset | durative | L | L | H | H | H | H | H | H | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | L | L | L | L | L | L | L |
Krongo notes
Phonology
The forms of the noun affixes are a fairly abstract representation (following Reh 1985), factoring out a good deal of phonologically predictable alternations (largely involving assimilation across vowels).
Nouns
- The singular ~ plural affix pattern for 'thief' (cV ~ kV) is the productive pattern for deverbal agentive nouns.
- Otherwise, the default pattern is zero prefixation in the singular and nA-/nI- in the plural. Both are productive, and both are found with loan words. While monosyllabic stems invariably take nA-, with polysllabic stems the choice is lexically specified, though Reh (1985: 107) notes certain tendencies (initial front and back consonants favour nI-).
- The plural prefixes nA-/nI- bear high tone,
except when prefixed to polysyllabic C-initial stems, in which case
they display tone polarity (high tone if the stem-initial syllable
is low, and vice versa). There are some further subrules with
specific tone patterns; also Reh (1985: 110f) does cite a few
examples with irregular plural tone, which are not illustrated in
the database:
- In some disyllabic nouns with LH tone, where the 1st syllable is short, it switches to high tone (ɲàrɪ́ 'husband' ~ níɲárɪ́).
- Instances where polarity does not apply (kólókówàŋ 'large ant' ~ ní-kólókówàŋ) or appears to work in reverse (kùbóoní 'bone' ~ nù-kúbóoní).
- The other number-marking patterns are unproductive. The types shown here follow the presentation given by Reh (1985), but does not constitute an exhaustive catalogue, as there seem to be many lexeme-specific aberrations in the combination of singular and plural prefixes, the addition of the plural suffix -Ani, as well as compound plural prefixes.
Verbs
The major distinctions in affixation patterns are predictable on the basis of the phonology of the first two segments, here characterized as 'light onset' (short non-high vowel followed by a non-geminate consonant) and 'heavy onset' (initial long vowel, or short vowel followed by geminate consonant, or initial short high vowel).
Gender
- The predominant pattern is for nouns to take masculine, feminine or neuter agreement (lexically specified) in the singular, and plural agreement in the plural; plural agreement is automatic with the productive plural prefixes nA-/nI- and kA-.
- But the unproductive plural formations take masculine, feminine or neuter agreement -- again, lexically specified. This yields five additional singular ~ plural agreement patterns on top of the productive three mentioned above. For the sake of clarity, the presentation of the verbal system does not take these additional genders (if they can be considered as such) into account.
References
Reh, Mechthild. 1985. Die Krongo-Sprache (Nìinò Mó-Dì): Beschreibung, Texte, Wörterverzeichnis. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.