1. http://llacan.vjf.cnrs.fr/ llacan@vjf.cnrs.fr UMR8135 CNRS INaLCO Centre André-Georges Haudricourt 7 rue Guy Môquet 94801 Villejuif Cedex - France Mark Van de Velde LLACAN - C.N.R.S. (Paris) DEPENDENCY REVERSAL IN NORTHERN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.

2. 1. INTRODUCTION (1)Basaa (Bantu; Hyman 2003) a.lì-wándálí=kíŋ ɛ̂ 5-friend V. GEN =chief the friend of the chief b.lì-k ɛ ́ŋg ɛ lí=m-u ̂ t 5-clever V. GEN =1-person a clever person c.mà-k ɛ ́ŋg ɛ má= ɓ -o ̂ t 6-clever VI. GEN =2-persons clever people

3. 1. INTRODUCTION PLAC but not DRNA (2) Makwe (Benue-Congo, Bantu; Mozambique; Maud Devos 2008: 136) muú-nuw-á=ki-búúli 1-person I - GEN =7-silent a silent person (literally: person of silent) (3) Zaar (Afro-Asiatic, Chadic, West B3; Nigeria; Bernard Caron 2005: 227) la ̂ tkə́mu ̄ː ri ̄ skin GEN new a new skin (literally: skin of new)

4. 1. INTRODUCTION Sometimes compared to: expressive binominal NPs (EBNPs) (Ad Foolen 2004) (4) Shingazidja (Benue-Congo, Bantu; Grande Comore; Michel Lafon 1997: 161) a.trombel-a=m-ndru [5]avorted_seed V - GEN =1-person a dead loss b.dji-ndrul-a=meza 5-giant V - GEN =table a huge table

5. 2. DRNA IN BENUE-CONGO LANGUAGES Eton (Bantu A70; Cameroon; Mark Van de Velde 2008)

6. 2. DRNA IN BENUE-CONGO LANGUAGES Eton (Bantu A70; Cameroon; Mark Van de Velde 2008) (5) ɛ ̀bèŋ ɛ ́ lôŋ ɛ ̀-b ɛ ̀ŋ ɛ ́=lòŋ 5-beauty V. GEN =[5]hair beautiful hair (6)ìŋgúŋgwál í mo ̂ d ì-ŋgúŋgwálí=m-òd 7-miserable VII. GEN =1-person a miserable person

7. 2. DRNA IN BENUE-CONGO LANGUAGES (7)a.ìvèv ɛ ̀z ḿpég íté kù ì-və̀v ɛ ̀z H = ɴ ̀-p ɛ ́gí- L t ɛ L -kù 7-light VII. GEN =3-bag VII. PRINF -fall The light bag falls. b.mèté y ɛ ́n y ɔ̂ mə̀- L t ɛ L -j ɛ ́nj- ɔ̋ 1 SG - PRINF -see VII - PRO I see it.

8. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES 3.1. Gbaya (CAR; Paulette Roulon-Doko 1987, 2008, p.c.)

9. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES 3.1. Gbaya (CAR; Paulette Roulon-Doko 1987, 2008, p.c.) (8)gbã̀ ʔ ã́ f ɔ ̀ gbã̀ ʔ ã̀- H f ɔ ̀ old- REL field an old field (waste land) (9)gásá tùà gásí-á(- H )tùà be.big- ADJ -( REL )house a big house

10. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (10)bàfá ndàè bàfà- H ndàè male- REL cow a bull (11)wèé yì wèè- H yì fire- REL water hot water

11. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (12)gásáà gásí-á- H -à be.big- ADJ - REL -3 SG. POSS. INAN the big one (lit. its being big)

12. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (9)gásá tùà gásí-á(- H )tùà be.big- ADJ -( REL )house a big house (13)gàsìk ɔ tùà bigness REL house the bigness of the house

13. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES 3.2. Zande (DRCongo; Raymond Boyd 1987, ms.)

14. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES 3.2. Zande (DRCongo; Raymond Boyd 1987, ms.) (14)me ̄ me ̄ nya ̄ boneanimal The bone of an animal (15)gàgbíákúmbá GEN chiefman the chiefs man

15. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (16)pàràngákúmbá youngman a boy

16. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (19)a.gba ̄ nga ̄ ngu ̄ à ́na ̄ àgu ̄ ru ̄ ngu ̄ à longtreewithshorttree the long stick and the short stick b.gba ̄ nga ̄ ngu ̄ a ̌ na ̄ àgu ̄ ru ̄ hé longtreewithshort3 SG. INAN. POSS the long stick and the short one

17. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES (20)a.fu ̧ ̀àbòro ̌ wàfu ̧ ̀àángóté trackpersonliketrackdog NEG A persons track is not like a dogs track. b.fu ̧ ̀àbòro ̌ wàgàángóté trackpersonlike GEN dog NEG A persons track is not like a dogs.

18. 3. DRNA IN UBANGIAN LANGUAGES Deep DRNA (21)a.gbi ̄ nzàkúmbáwàgbi ̄ nzàde ̄ ́té oldmanlikeoldwoman NEG An old man is not like an old woman. b.gbi ̄ nzàkúmbáwàgàde ̄ ́té oldmanlike GEN woman NEG Old men and women are not the same.

19. 4. DRNA IN CHADIC LANGUAGES Hausa (West Chadic; Nigeria)

20. 4. DRNA IN CHADIC LANGUAGES (24)kàaká-anyáaròo grandfather- LK. MS boy[ MS ] the boys grandfather (25)rìigáafár-áa gown[ FS ]white- FS white gown

21. 4. DRNA IN CHADIC LANGUAGES (26)a. fár-á-rrìigáa white- FS - LK. FS gown[ FS ] white gown b.fár-i-nzánèè white- MS - LK. MS cloth[ MS ] white cloth

22. 5. DRNA IN SARA-BONGO-BAGIRMI LANGUAGES Bongo (Central Sudanic; Sudan; Pierre Nougayrol 2008)

23. 5. DRNA IN SARA-BONGO-BAGIRMI LANGUAGES Bongo (Central Sudanic; Sudan; Pierre Nougayrol 2008) (27)f ɨ ̀rk ʉ ̀ ɲ à speechbad bad words (28)mà-k ʉ ̀ ɲ àf ɨ ̀r DER -badspeech bad words (29)f ɨ ̀rkák ʉ ̀ ɲ -àa speechwithbadness-of_it bad words

24. 6. A TENTATIVE SCENARIO

26. The DRNA pattern originates in the Ubangian languages. In Gbaya, for instance, the majority of qualifiers are relational nouns derived from verbs. DRNA constructions are structurally identical to Action Nominal Constructions. This analysis does not (or rarely) work in non- Ubangian DRNA languages in the area. DRNA must have been borrowed from Ubangian in these languages.