Causative constructions in Igbo?

Abstract

Causativity is a universal category in human cognition and its grammar has been widely investigated in many languages. These investigations make cross-linguistic comparisons and seek to understand deeper the centrality of causativity in human cognition. In spite of the great deal of scholarly interest in the grammar of causativity, Anyanwu (2007) is the only major work on causativity in Igbo. Igbo scholars have largely paid a fleeting interest in the phenomenon. Anyanwu’s (2007) approach is to designate formal rules for the derivation of causative structures in the language. This approach detracts from the cognitive perspective, hence, the centrality of causativity in Igbo life and culture. Therefore, this work sets out to describe data that is faithful to the conceptualisation of causativity by the Igbo speaker. The study adopts a descriptive approach where the interaction of the morphology, syntax and semantics of causative constructions express the prominence of this phenomenon in the Igbo speaker’s lexicon and cognition. The data reveals three categories of causative constructions. The first is the lexical causative construction, for example, chi? n?t[? ‘become deaf’, kpo?? u??kwu?? ‘stumble and stagger’ and hu?? e?gbe? ‘frighten a hawk’. These constructions include autonomous linguistic units entrenched in the lexicon and their contextual use must be learned by the speaker. The second category is the morphological causative construction. It involves the suffixation to causative verb roots of evaluative morphemes like –ghe?, ta? and gbo??. It also comprises the verb-verb compounding of -gbu? ‘kill’, to the roots of causative activity verbs. This category is highly productive in the language. The third category which is the analytical causative construction comprises schematic clauses that seem to be standard answers to Wh-questions with the Wh-element o?nye?. This category is the most unproductive in the language. The data in this work compares with data on causativity in other languages and the descriptive methodology facilitates the representation of the Igbo speaker’s conceptualization of causativity and how this phenomenon is central to the cultural and physical realities of Igbo life.