Spatial expressions in Zargula

Amha, A.

doi:doi:10.63469/jaal1524

Persistent URL of this record https://hdl.handle.net/1887/4299416

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Amha, A. (2026)

Spatial expressions in Zargula

Article / Letter to editor

Zargula, an East Ometo language in southwest Ethiopia, employs a few locative suffixes and numerous relational locative nouns to express spatial relations. Case categories such as the nominative and accusative play a role in the system of spatial grammar. The language has a rich system of deictic locative expressions which integrate distance and elevation in their meaning and are used both in expressions of static locative relations as well as motion events. The morphological form of some toponyms ending in -(l)la/(l)le), and locative nouns marked by so/se and encode designated spaces within a spatial domain, but also time (of the day) are discussed, and a hypothesis is advanced that both the -(l)la/(l)le) and so/se ending words are derived from nouns that designates space or place.

Elevational demonstratives

Locative demonstratives