SOMALI
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Himmelreich, Anke, Melissa Jeckel, Katharina Hartmann, Johannes Mursell (2021): Agreement with Coordinated Subjects in the World's Languages [Data set]. Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main (Link: https://www.multivaluation.de/database.php)
Overview
| Language family: | Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic)
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| Countries: | Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
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| Number of speakers: | 16 million
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| Agreement features: | gender, number, person
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| Attested word orders: | SV, VS
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| Coordination types: | and, or
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Data Collection
This description is based on data entered by four native speakers of Somali. There were minor variations in the data regarding imperfective vs. perfective aspect and the use of the pronouns that mark agreement. The patterns, however, were almost identical among all four speakers with the exception of coordination with "or" were three speaker chose a form that doesn't mark agreement at all. The fourth speaker marked agreement as described below.
Patterns for gender
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: In all cases, a plural verb form is used that doesn't mark gender.
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
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| fem | -- | --
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| masc | -- | --
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Examples:
| (1) | Ninka | iyo | naagtu | waa ay | ordaan.
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| man | and | woman | they | run.3pl
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| `The man and the woman run.'
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| (2) | Naagta | iyo | ninku | waa ay | ordaan.
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| woman | and | man | they | run.3pl
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| `The woman and the man run.'
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Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: Both feminine and masculine agreement is possible. For some speakers a default form is chosen with ``or''.
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
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| fem | fem/def | fem/masc/def
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| masc | fem/masc/def | masc/def
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Examples:
| (3) | ninku | ama | naagata | waa uu | ordaa | / | waa ay | orodaa.
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| man | or | woman | he | run.3sg.masc | / | she | run.3sg.fem
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| `The man or the woman run.'
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| (4) | Naagata | ama | ninku | waa ay | orodaa | / | waa uu | ordaa.
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| woman | or | man | she | run.3sg.fem | / | he | run.3sg.masc
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| `The woman or the man run.'
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Comment: There are also patterns without agreement.
| (5) | Ninka | ama | naagta | ayaa | orda.
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| man | or | woman | def | run.def
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| `The man or the woman run.'
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| (6) | Naagta | ama | ninka | ayaa | orda.
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| woman | or | man | def | run.def
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| `The woman or the man run.'
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Patterns for number
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: There is plural agreement in all cases.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
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| sg | pl | pl
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| pl | pl | pl
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Examples:
| (7) | Wiilka | iyo | ninku | waa ay | ordaan. |
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| boy.sg | and | man.sg | they | run.3pl |
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| `The boy and the man run.'
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| (8) | Wiilasha | iyo | ninku | waa ay | ordaan. |
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| boy.pl | and | man.sg | they | run.3pl |
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| `The boys and the man run.'
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| (9) | Wiilka | iyo | nimanku | waa ay | ordaan. |
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| boy.sg | and | man.pl | they | run.3pl |
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| `The boy and the men run.'
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Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: a With two singular conjuncts, both singular and plural agreement is possible. For some speakers, a default form is chosen with ``or''.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
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| sg | pl/sg/def | ../def
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| pl | pl/def | pl/def
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Examples:
| (12) | Wiilka | ama | ninku | waa ay | ordaan | / | waa uu | ordayaa. |
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| boy.sg | or | man.sg | they | run.3pl | / | he | run.prog.3sg
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| `The boy or the man run.'
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| (13) | Wiilasha | ama | ninku | waa ay | ordaan
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| boy.pl | or | man.sg | they | run.3pl |
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| `The boys or the man run.'
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Comment: There are also patterns without agreement.
| (14) | Wiilka | ama | ninka | ayaa | orda.
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| boy.sg | or | man.sg | def | run.def
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| `The boy or the man run.'
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| (15) | Wiilasha | ama | ninka | ayaa | orda.
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| boy.pl | or | man.sg | def | run.def
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| `The boys or the man run.'
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| (16) | Wiilka | ama | nimanka | ayaa | orda.
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| boy.sg | or | man.pl | def | run.def
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| `The boy or the men run.'
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Patterns for person
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatching person seems to be resolved following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.) In combinations of 1st and 2nd person, an inclusive verb form is possible.
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
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| 1 | | 1pl.incl/excl | 1pl.excl
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| 2 | 1pl.incl/excl. | |
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| 3 | 1pl.excl | |
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Examples:
| (17) | Adiga | iyo | annigu | waa aan | orodnaa | / | waa aynu | orodnaa.
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| you | and | I | we.excl | run.1pl | / | we.incl | run.1pl
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| `You and I run.'
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| (18) | Anniga | iyo | adigu | waa aan | orodnaa | / | waa aynu | orodnaa.
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| I | and | you | we.excl | run.1pl | / | we.incl | run.1pl
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| `I and you run.'
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| (19) | Annaga | iyo | iyagu | waa aan | orodnaa.
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| we | and | they | we.excl | run.1pl
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| `We and they run.'
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| (20) | Iyaga | iyo | annagu | waa aan | orodnaa.
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| they | and | we | we.excl | run.1pl
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| `They and we run.'
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Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: In combinations of 1st and 3rd person, both 1st person and 3rd person agreement is possible. For some speakers, a default form is chosen with ``or''.
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
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| 1 | | ../def | 1pl.excl/3pl/def
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| 2 | ../def | |
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| 3 | 1pl.excl/3pl/def | |
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Examples:
| (21) | Annaga | ama | iyaga | waa aan | orodnaa | / | waa ay | ordaan.
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| we | or | they | we.excl | run.1pl | / | they | run.3pl
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| `We or they run.'
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| (22) | Iyaga | ama | annaga | waa aan | orodnaa | / | waa ay | ordaan.
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| they | and | we | we.excl | run.1pl | / | they | run.3pl
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| `They and we run.'
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Comment: There are also patterns without agreement.
| (23) | Adiga | ama | aniga | ayaa | orda.
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| you | or | I | def | run.def
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| `You or I run.'
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| (24) | Aniga | ama | adiga | ayaa | orda.
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| I | or | you | def | run.def
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| `I or you run.'
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| (25) | Annaga | ama | idinka | ayaa | orda.
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| we | or | they | def | run.def
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| `We or they run.'
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| (26) | Iyaga | ama | annaga | ayaa | orda.
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| they | or | we | def | run.def
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| `They or we run.'
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