Analysing number morphosyntax in Embosi

Abstract

This work is concerned with the morphosyntactic analysis of number in Embsí under Chomsky’s Transformational Generative Framework. A scrutiny of the morphosyntax of number proves that Embsí shows singular and plural contrast. This contrast is morphosyntactically observable through agreement concord patterns. In this respect, there is an agreement between a noun and demonstratives, adjectives, possessives, and quantifiers in singular and plural. Secondly, when two nouns have different prefixes, the noun with + Animate feature governs the subject verb agreement. Finally, the noun and number agreement is selective since it concerns only the first five cardinal numbers, whereas the remaining as well as the ordinal number does not show agreement.