A STUDY OF TIV PREDICATES

Abstract

The concept of predicate is a phenomenon that is widely recognized within the framework of Generative Grammar. It is conceived by generative linguists as that part of the sentence that makes an assertion about the subject; it defines the relation between arguments in a sentence. There is hardly any human language without predicate. The theory of government and binding projects the centrality of predicates in sentence structure in the sense that they may subcategorise for arguments on the basis of the theta grid of the verb involved, and also assign theta role to arguments. The phenomenon of Tiv predicates has not been fully examined. Therefore, this work delves into the study of Tiv predicates with the aim of examining their intricate features and how they work in the syntactic and semantic structure of the language. Data is elicited from interview and observation. As for the analysis, the work depends on the theta theory of Government and Binding model (Chomsky 1981, 1982). The study finds out that Tiv predicates can take one, two, three, or four arguments depending on the theta grid of the verb involved; certain predicates in Tiv contain verb serialization which means that two or more verbs are strung together within a clause without the intervention of coordinating conjunction. Tiv verbs also exhibit compound or complex predicate. This means that two or more morphemes or words can function as a single verb. Also, Tiv adjectives and prepositions may require one or two obligatory arguments. It has been proven, therefore, that Tiv predicate fits into UG principles and parameters of linguistic description. The work adds to knowledge by placing the syntax of Tiv predicates on a formal linguistic pedestal.