Grammar

The basic rules of Gbaya grammar were presented in Philip Noss' book Grammaire Gbaya (1981); the reader may refer to it for grammatical descriptions and insights. The rules of Gbaya grammar allign well with the requirements of FLEx (Field Works Language Explorer).

Serial verbs are an especially significant phenomenon in the Gbaya predicate system. At least two verbs are placed in series to express an event; the first verb specifies the time of the action, while the verb(s) that follow summarize the complete action! The capaccity of the serial verb constructions to describe the heroic actions of a hunter or warrior is limited only by the creativity of the orator.

Compound nouns are a second important phenomenon in Gbaya grammar. Several constructions are available to the Gbaya speaker. These include placing two nouns, one in relation to the other in composition, or combining three words, noun-verb-object, with variations. Compound structures can be very simple, or long and conplex. The grammatical feature of creating combinations of meanings allows Gbaya speakers to describe and talk about any surprise they may encounter in life. In the dictionary, compound words follow the presentation of the basic simple word.

The ideophone is a word category that appears often in Grammaire Gbaya. Ideophones occur in significant numbers in everyday life or in oral tradition, and are included in the dictionary. Definitions are given with as much precision as possible, but we are aware of the frequent approximation of this precision.

Indeed, ideophones are words whose sound paints that of the object or quality that it represents. Ideophones express all meanings. Often the word encompasses several senses; for example, it may express a visual perception and an auditory perception at the same time. Sometimes the word expresses an olfactory perception coupled with an appreciation. In the case of an action or description, a judgment is often attached to the word, either in a flattering sense or in a pejorative or ironic sense. To help the reader better grasp the meaning of the ideophone, we have given examples taken from a context drawn from stories, narratives, or talk.

It should also be noted that an ideophone can have many forms. It can be variable in tone and in length. Often, the low or high tone corresponds to whether the subject being described is large or small; or the reverse, if irony is intended. The last syllable is frequently extended to express a duration of the action. In addition, the ideophone may be repeated to express intensity or to indicate repetition of the designated action.

The Gbaya language clearly manifests the influence of the vast territory occupied by its speakers. There are words borrowed from Fulfulde and Hausa in the west, from Sango in the east, from Arabic and Kanuri in the north, and from Bantu languages in the south. Through the vocabulary of the language, one finds the currents of history that have flowed through this central point of Africa. The language of origin of the word is sometimes indicated in the dictionary by the abbreviation of the language name following the base word (head word). However, a dictionary can only give a few reflections of reality.

Modern Gbaya borrows many words from neighboring languages, especially Fulfulde, and from French. Words that are in frequent use or have long been adopted are included in the dictionary; but those, especially French, that are easily recognized by pronunciation have been excluded.