Nominal and Verbal Modification in Gwama

Abstract

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the modifiers of Gwama, one of the Koman languages spoken mainly in Western Ethiopia. In addition to nouns and verbs, the language has the following word classes: adjectives, adverbs, and numerals. Adjectives express six semantic categories: dimension, colour, age, value, physical property, and human propensity. These adjectives have noun-like features, since they are inflected for number and definiteness. Though derivation is not a productive process, manner adverbs are derived from adjectives. To express how frequently something is done or has happened, partial reduplication of time adverbs occurs. Numerals follow the base-five number system, quinary. This base-five numeral system is an areal pattern that is also found in Komo and Opo. The general overview of numerals as modifiers presented here covers the functions of cardinal and ordinal numerals, where ordinals are formed from cardinals with the suffix -t’o.