The additive connective -mä ‘ADD4’

In the context of backwards confirmation, the translations of s ɩɩ into English are ‘also’, ‘too’, ‘indeed’, ‘furthermore’, and ‘after all’, as illustrated in example 161. 8 161 a. ɩ plöö- gämalɩ NHP BE 2: CP play: NOM ‘It’s about having fun. ɩzä n pä lä s ɩɩ - lɔɔ nünë yɩ CLU 1 1 S throw: ICP LOP ADD 3 there tale DDEM That’s why I am telling that story, after all.’ [creation 145–146] b. - mɔ -bhlogbe co - mɔ plöö- lä - anyɩa yu 2 S : TH one_single ID 2 S : TH BE 2: CP LOP 1 P : GEN child ‘You alone, you are our child, -l ɔɔ Laagɔ ny ɩ -any ɩ lä nä Ɩzä n mii- DPF God give 1 PO LOP SP CLU 1 1 S be_able: CP the one God has given us. That is why I seize the opportunity nɩ n sonö-ö lä s ɩɩ sɔɔ ADD 1 1 S speak: APL :2 SO : ICP LOP ADD 3 thus to also tell you about that.’ [elisabet 102–105] 8.1.3.3 The connective s ɩɩ and pseudo-relatives Utterances that are introduced by the pseudo-relatives whoever, whenever, and whatever in English are expressed with s ɩɩ in Godié, as in example 162. 9 162 a kä lä s ɩɩ g wɛ ni nɩ ɛ 2 P XCND LOP ADD 3 chimpanzee find ADD 1 NH 2 ‘So whenever you see a chimpanzee kä lä ɛɛ numnuu plöplönyʋä tlaa nä XCND LOP NH 2: GEN lip pass:pass_people show SP 1 and it shows its lips to all who pass…’ [gwebhutu 53–54]

8.1.4 The additive connective -mä ‘ADD4’

The connective -mä constrains an interpretation of the following material as an addition. It instructs the hearer to consider the following material as setting off in a different direction than the preceding material. The function of -mä could in fact be compared with a cut on a film strip, which generally involves some change of perspective of the camera. In a narrative context, the occurrence of -mä means that the information to be added does not advance the narrative along its event line. Rather, it instructs the hearer to interpret the following information as being of a non-event, background nature. That information can be descriptive. It may be about a state that by normal standards should be the case but isn’t, or it may be about an event that should have happened but did not happen. 10 8 The German translation would have a so-called modal auch where English has ‘after all’. 9 The term ‘pseudo-relative’ is used by Blass 1990:151. The Godié connective s ɩɩ behaves quite similarly to the particle má in the Sissala language analysed by Blass, with the sense of an English pseudo-relative. 10 Such information is also called collateral information by Grimes 1975:64 and Levinsohn 2007:68. The instruction for interpretation given by -mä can be formulated as follows: • Add the information expressed after -mä, but consider narrative progress as stalled until further notice. Even though the connective -mä can often be translated into English as ‘but’ or ‘however’, -mä is to be considered an additive and not a countering connective. The countering senses such as contrast, counterexpectation, and concession that are quite frequent with this connective are pragmatic effects of -mä that occur in certain contexts but they are not part of the instructional meaning of -mä. Examples 163a and 163b illustrate the pragmatic effect of counterexpectation of the connective -mä. 163 a. Jübënyebluoo- -bha lä - lɔɔ nëë nä kɔ -mö Neyo_lad: DEF : REL leave: CP LOP there mouth: OBL SP 1 ASF :3 S go: CP ‘The Neyo lad who had escaped, ɔ bäsɩ soo -kä -mä wa nɩ - wʋ -nʋawlɛ laa 3 S father: PL speak PUR ADD 4 3 P XNEG : NHP CNT 2 truth call he went to tell his elders, andbut they did not believe it.’ [neyo 37:1–3] b. -a bhibhie- Laagɔ -a gä yu gää 1 P pray: CP God 1 P XPOT child beget ‘We prayed to God that we might have a child -mä -aa kɔɔkɔ yu gää ADD 4 1 P : XNEG ever child beget but we had never had one.’ [elisabet 8–10] The negative clause can also come first, as in examples 164a-c. 164 a. - dʋdʋʋ wɛ - kʋ -mä jie -bhlobhlo wlä earth: XNEG PST 3 BE 1 ADD 4 ocean alone PST 3: LOP ‘the earth didnt exist, but or: thoughhowever the ocean was there.’ [creation 18–19] b. Fädɩnyʋa -mä wa nɩ yɩɔ mö nuu Fanti_people: DEF ADD 4 3 P XNEG : NHP anymore VPC understand ‘Now as for the Fanti, they did not want to listen to reason anymore; -mä yizlɛ wa - kʋ ylä ADD 4 anger 3 P BE 1: CP now: LOP rather, they were now angry.’ [neyo 17.1–2] c. nyɩkpaa - wʋ -lɔɔ nyie yëku - kʋ people: XNEG CNT 2 there lagoon beside BE 1: CP ‘… there were no people there by the lagoon, -mä bhloobhlo lʋä -kʋ - lɔɔ ADD 4 a_few IPF BE 1: CP there though a few were around’ [greve 64–65] If there is tail-head linkage see §4.2.3, -mä occurs at the beginning of the subordinate head clause, as in example 165. 165 nyɩkpɔ -bhlogbe ɔmɔ wa laa lä Lulu person one_single 3 S : TH they call LOP Lulu ‘There was a certain man called lit. it is him they call Lulu. ɔmɔ -ɔ -gää lä ɔɔ ŋnʋgbɛnyʋä sɔ 3 S : TH REL :3 S beget: CP LOP 3 S : GEN girl: PL two He lit. it was he who had two girls lit. procreated his two girls. -mä ŋnʋgbɛnyʋänä sɔ ɔ -gä lä naa kä wa mɛmɛ ADD 4 girl: PL : DEM two 3 S beget: CP LOP SP 1 ASF 3 P be_stuck_together Now, these two girls that he had they were stuck to each other.’ [siamoi 13–16] On the other hand, where there is a point of departure, -mä is placed after it. It then acts as a spacer see introduction to chapter 9, as in examples 166a and 166b also see example 164b above. Note that in example 166a there is no contrast involved. Rather, the attention shifts to other participants. In example 166b, the clause introduced by -mä gives known background information about the participant, before the action continues. 11 166 a. ɔ -soo ɔ bäsɩ 3 S speak: CP 3 S elders ‘He spoke to his elders. wamä -mä waa - wʋ -bʋä 3 P : TH ADD 4 3 P : XNEG CNT 2 be_slow: CP Now as for them, they weren’t slow to act, kwa bhlüü- tëvël ɩɩ kʋ ASF :3 P take: CP weapon: PL VPC they actually took weapons …’ [neyo 44.4–45.2] b. nɩ - Sʋmabolu yi yi. Ʋmʋ -mä ʋʋ pio lä nä ADD 1 Worm XFUT come NH 3: TH ADD 4 NH 3: XNEG hurry LOP SP 1 ‘… and Worm came. Now as for him, he wasnt fast dɩgasä nɩ ʋ yi ŋë slowly ADD 1 NH 3 XFUT arrive it was slowly that he arrived.’ [kokoleko 35–37]

8.1.5 The additive connective -mää ‘ADD5’