AN ANALYSIS OF SↃGↃKIRÉ VERB SYSTEM: FOCUS ON ITS VERB GROUP

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Résumé

This study explores Sↄgↄkiré verb system, shedding light on the complex grammatical
nuances that shape this dialect verbal structure. Sↄgↄkiré, a dialect of the Bↄbↄda
language, occupies a unique linguistic space in the Western region of Burkina Faso.
One way to revitalize indigenous languages like Sↄgↄkiré is to establish its
documentation. It is in this regard that this paper examines Sↄgↄkiré verb system
through Creisseils’ (2006) eclectic lexicalist approach which provides a strong
foundation for our research, as it has been successful in many African language
description, especially Mande languages. We employed a qualitative methodology to
collect in-depth information. The data were obtained through recording of Sↄgↄkiré
native speakers’ natural speeches via a semi-structured interview guide in Satiri
Department located to the North-East of Bobo-Dioulasso. The results of the study
reveal the Sↄgↄkiré verb group structure in simple sentences including subject +
object + (preverb) + verb and object + (preverb) + verb + subject in transitive
sentences, and subject + verb + complement in intransitive sentences. Additionally,
the verb group is structured as (negation)+ (auxiliary) + (positive)+ verb + (negation).
The results also show the verb markers in conjugation of Sↄgↄkiré, which consists of
auxiliaries, verb inflection markers. Finally, the findings reveal that the verb markers
express aspects, mood and number. And their operation is highly dependent on
context and the transitivity of the sentence in the dialect.

Mots-clés

Key-words: Sↄgↄkiré, verb group, verb markers.