Bagirmi (Nilo-Saharan, Bongo-Bagirmi)

Mismatch: unclassified (marginal)


Stevenson notes (p. 47, 80) that the particle ka an emphatic marker used with 3rd person verbal forms, but that it is also used obligatorily in 2nd person forms of the indefinite aspect:

3rd person ka
ne ka tad̢(a)
'He'll certainly do it.'
(p. 47)
'do'
2nd person ka
indefinite aspect
definite aspect
1SG ma tad̢(a) ma m-tad̢(a)
2SG (i) ka tad̢(a) (i) tad̢(a)
3SG ne tad̢(a) ne n-tad̢(a)
(p. 37)

(Note that the 2nd person pronoun i is optional.) Are these two instances of ka systematic, or due to accidental homophony?


References

Stevenson, R. C. 1969. Bagirmi grammar. Linguistic Monograph Series No. 3. Khartoum: Sudan Research Unit, University of Khartoum.