Intransitive verbs of motion

The causative motion verb may also be the causative member of an intransitive-causative pair. This is illustrated in 7 where the verb dogi ‘cause to come out’ is the causative member of the intransitive-causative pair: dog ɔ ‘come out’ ─ dogi ‘cause to come out’. The SPG schema is invoked. The source of motion of the mover, the money, is within the LM of the preposition to which is kɔmɔ yɛ ‘his bag’, i.e., the money moves from within his bag. 7 ‘He took money FROM out of his bag.’

2.2 Non-motion verbs

By a non-motion verb, we mean any verb which does not invoke a mover in the situation the verb describes. Non-motion verbs include non-motion processual verbs, the verb ‘be’, and the verb ‘have’. The SPG schema is irrelevant here, since there is no mover. For clauses with non-motion verbs, the situation described by the verb is localised within the interior of the LM by the to + LM prepositional phrase.

2.2.1 With the verb ‘be’

The verb ‘be’ in Mpyemo can take two forms, either zero, or the form di ‘be’, which introduces a relative clause. 2.2.1.1 The verb ‘be’ as a zero verb The verb ‘be’ as zero can be a purely locational verb in various different domains. In 8 the location is in physical space, namely, a container. 8 The knife is IN the bag. In 9 the location is a geographical area. 9 ‘This same work is IN Central Africa.’ Din ɔ ram 2.9 ndi ndi also centrafrique centrrafrique- Central Africa to to IN i i 3sg INAN mɛsala mɛsala NC 6.work b simɔ simɔ same kɔmɔ kɔmɔ bag to bo IN i i 3sg . INAN kyeɔng kyeɔng NC9.knife yɛ yɛ his kɔmɔ kɔmɔ bag to to FROM bikoe bikoei money dogi dogi cause. come .out a a 3sg In 10 the location is a domain of social grouping. 10 ‘I am IN a group, which they call its name SIL.’ Dinɔ ram 2.6 2.2.1.2 The verb di ‘that+be’ The verb di ‘that+be’ introduces a relative clause which is followed by to+LM PP which locates a thing within the interior of the LM. In 11 the location is a physical container. 11 ‘Vomit what is IN your stomach.’ Kuli 1.26

2.2.2 Non-motion action verbs

Here the to phrase locates the process of a non-motion action verb with reference to either space or time. In 12 the non-motion action verb is byela ‘find’, and the LM is in physical space. 12 ‘One day, they found the boy who stabbed the drunk man IN the forest.’ Tumbo 8.1 In 13 the non-motion action verb is kwelaa ‘write’ passive, and the LM is in a ‘kind of information’ space. 13 ‘How is it written IN the law?’ samaria 2.2 The verbs tinda ‘move along’ and sa ‘do’ in 14 and 15 refer to LMs in temporal space. ge ge QUESTION nɛ nɛ COMP mpɔnga mpɔnga NC 7.law to to IN kwelaa Kwela- a- write- PASSIVE i i 3sg. INAN . digi digi forest to to IN gɔ gɔ sub nii nii this further mɛnyɔgi mɛnyɔgi corn beer mori mori person lumɔ lumɔ shoot at nyɛ nyɛ REL momorom mo- morom little man kɛkɛɛ kɛkɛɛ child byela byela find b ɛ b ɛ 3pl bori bo- ri NC2 person alung a- lung NC5 day Nu nu certain gɔ gɔ sub yɔ yɔ NC 9.2sg. POSS mo mo NC 9.stomach to to IN di di that.is sagɔ sagɔ NC5.thing gwola gwola vomit nɛ SIL nɛ SIL COMP ra ra NC 5. DEF dinɔ dinɔ NC 5.name tubɔ tubɔ call bɛ bɛ 3pl. REL abumbɔ abumbɔ NC 5.group to to IN mɛ mɛ 1sg