Bantu DO/SAY polysemy and the origins of a quotative in Shangaci

Abstract

This paper describes the functional versatility of the verb ‑ira in Shangaci and tries to define its lexical semantics. Synchronically the verb ‑ira is best regarded as a quotative verb but comparative research indicates that its origins lie in a generic action verb. It is shown that frequent use in a reported discourse construction can lead to do/say polysemy and can even result in a semantic change to a generic speech verb.