On the Syntax and Semantics of Modals in Likpakpaanl
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On the Syntax and Semantics of Modals in Likpakpaanl
This paper investigates the syntax and semantics of modal verbs in Likpakpaanl, a Mabia (Gur) language spoken in the Northern region of Ghana. Drawing on naturally occurring data, the paper examines five modal verbs: ŋmàà ‘can’ (1), bàn ‘want’ (2), yè kè ‘must‘ (3), lì ‘should’ (4), and the modal adverb nìbààkàn ‘maybe’ (5).
- Nakoja nàn ŋmàà kìn lìnùùl gbààn.
N. pst can.able fry yam def
‘Nakoja was able to fry the yam.’
- Mbaye nàn bàn kè ù kùùr kìsààk gbààn.
M. pst want comp rp weed farm def
- Mpopiin yè ké ù jì sàkɔlà.
M. cop comp rp eat fufu
‘Mpopiin must eat fufu.’
- Talido lì dàà lòòr.
T. should buy car
‘Talido should buy a car.’
- Nìbààkàn, Irene gà lùù n-nyùn gbààn.
Maybe, I. fut fetch water def
‘Maybe Irene willl fetch the water.’
The findings reveal that modals such as ŋmàà and bàn select different complement types (vP vs. CP), while adverbial modals like nìbààkàn exhibit positional flexibility within the clause, aligning with cross-linguistic patterns of modal adverbs (Cinque, 1999; Gbegble & Nuyts, 2012). The selectional differences between bàn and ŋmàà are similar to those found in Ewe (Ameka, 2008) and Igbo (Uchechukwu, 2008). I propose that Likpakpaanl modals project a Modal Phrase (ModP) in the clausal spine, following the proposal of Cinque (1999) and Rizzi (1997). This study contributes to the typology of modality by showing how syntactic position, clausal size, and semantic interpretation interact in Likpakpaanl. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions in typological semantics, the syntax of modality, and the interaction between modality, tense, and aspect in African languages..