SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The thesis deals with the grammar of the Ewe (correctly, and henceforth, Eve) language in terms of Scale and Category linguistic theory. It has two main sections: an Introduction and the Grammatical Description. The Introduction is in three parts. First, a discussion of previous work in the field of Eve grammar which is intended to make obvious the need for a fresh look at the subject. Second, a brief summary of the theoretical presuppositions on which the analysis is based - Scale and Category theory. Third, a summary statement of those phonological features of Hue which are pertinent to the grammatical description presented here. The Grammatical Description constitutes the main body of the thesis. The grammatical units found necessary and adequate to describe Eve are the Sentence, Clause, Group, Word and Morpheme. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 deal with the Units Sentence, Clause and Group respectively. Chapter k deals with the Units Word and Morpheme. A formal definition is attempted for each of the units and their structures are described in terms of their constituent elements (except for the Morpheme which has no grammatical structure) and the exponents of each are given. Where relevant (i.e. in the Clause, Group, Word and Morpheme but not in the Sentence), the various classes and sub-classes that operate at the places in these structures are described and exemplified to varying degrees of delicacy. The systems operating at the ranks of Sentence, Clause and Group are summarised at the end of the discussion of these units. The grammatical description is summed up in a brief concluding remark. The thesis closes with a selected bibliography of relevant works in General Linguistics on the one hand and of Eve grammar on the other.