Semantic Functions of Verbal Negation in Fulfulde Spoken in Taraba State, Nigeria

Zulkiflu Usman; Prof Isa A. Haliru Prof Aboki M. Sani

doi:10.56201/ijelcs.vol.11.no7.2026.pg159.172

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Semantic Functions of Verbal Negation in Fulfulde Spoken in Taraba State, Nigeria

Zulkiflu Usman, Prof Isa A. Haliru Prof Aboki M. Sani

Abstract

This study examines the semantic functions of verbal negation in the Fulfulde variety spoken in Taraba State, Nigeria. The study aims to identify the verbal negative markers used in the variety and describe their contextual semantic functions. A qualitative descriptive research design was adopted data were obtained through oral interviews, observation, elicitation and the researcher’s linguistic intuition, and the collected data were analysed by comparing affirmative and negative constructions. The study is anchored on Functional-Typological Theory, developed principally by Talmy Givón, which relates grammatical structures to their semantic, pragmatic, discourse, and communicative functions. The findings identify four principal verbal negative markers: akul, taa, taata, and taako. The analysis shows that, these markers do not merely indicate the non- occurrence of an action; their interpretation extends to several communicative functions. Akul expresses prohibition, prevention, warning, and negative instruction. Taa expresses prohibition, negative command, restriction, and warning, taata expresses emphatic prohibition, warning, and restriction, while taako expresses prohibition, advice or recommendation, and warning. The findings further revealed that, semantic interpretation is strongly influenced by the communicative context in which each marker occurs. Thus, the same negative form may convey different shades of directive meaning depending on the speaker’s intention and the situation of use. The study concludes that, verbal negation in Taraba Fulfulde constitutes a semantically functional system in which negative markers encode non-performance as well as context-dependent directive meanings. The study contributes to the documentation and understanding of Fulfulde negation in Nigeria. It shows how context shapes meaning in use.

Keywords

Semantics; Semantic functions; Verbal negation; Negative markers.

References

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Semantic Functions of Verbal Negation in Fulfulde Spoken in Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

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