The syntax and semantics of part-whole relationships in Northern Sotho

Abstract

From a study of Northern Sotho possessives it became clear that the nature of the process expressed by the verb affects the choice between a marked and unmarked possessive construction when the ‘possessor’ and ‘possessee’ are in a part-whole relationship. The transitivity of the verb determines the nature of the nouns appearing as subjects and objects of the given verb. The role of intransitive as well as single and double transitive verbs are discussed. The process may also be of such a nature that it affects only a part of the whole on the one hand, or it may affect the whole as well as a part/parts of the whole, on the other hand. The syntactic position and function of the nouns referring to a part and the whole respectively, are determined by the nature of the process.