Conjunctive and disjunctive verb forms in Setswana

Abstract

Setswana has a distinction between the so-called ‘short form’ and ‘long form’ of the Present Indicative (positive) which at first seems to be isolated in the system of this language. Its function has so far not been adequately identified. The aim of this paper is to show that: a) several other tenses of the Setswana verb have tonal variations carrying a distinction functionally identical to that between the short form and the long form of the Positive Present of the Indicative; and b) this distinction between what could conveniently be termed ‘disjunctive’ and ‘conjunctive’ verb forms, has a pragmatic function; the use of conjunctive forms implies that the verb is not in final clause position and that the noun phrase or the adverb which follows it provides some new information. Disjunctive forms have the opposite implication: if a disjunctive verb form is followed by a noun phrase or an adverb which seems to belong to the clause in which the verb in question fulfils the predicaste function, this element is in fact to be interpreted as a postclausal topic.