VERB VALENCY IN TARIFIT BERBER

Abstract

This paper analyzes the valency structures of the Tarifit Berber verbs. Tarifit Berber is spoken in the Rif region of Morocco, North Africa. It exclusively examines how speakers opt for the desired valency among the avalent, monovalent, bivalent, and trivalent verbal structures in response to pragmatic and discourse demands. Theoretically, the study opts for a synchronic, descriptive approach and relies on data elicited from native speakers to capture authentic usage of these valencies. The main thesis of this study is that the pragmatic need motivates the choice of valency, as verbs can have multiple valencies. The focal finding of this study is that the Tarifit language employs avalent, monovalent, bivalent, and trivalent structures depending on the pragmatic demands. That is, the chosen valency derives from the intentions of the speakers. Valency in Tarifit is therefore not a static grammatical property, but it is a flexible phenomenon shaped by the communicative intent of the speaker. Conversely, speakers intentionally select a particular valency pattern to fulfill discourse emphasis. A valency pattern can be used to foreground specific participants or to background less relevant information. Notably, the study reveals that the pragmatic motivation governs valency selection in Tarifit. It also reveals a close interplay between morphology, syntax, and discourse within the Afro-Asiatic linguistic context.