Syntax

KALABARI SYNTAX

Syntax, simply defined as the rules governing the placing of words in their proper places in a sentence, can be very challenging in the Kalabari language.This is so because in most cases, the order in the Kalabari language is diametrically opposed to the order in the English language.

Generally, Kalabari sentences end in a verb. There are exceptions to this rule.

Let us discuss few examples:

Expressing the Noun + Verb combination

In the English language, object noun comes after the corresponding verb. e.g He has eaten the food

She has washed the plate.

In the Kalabari language, this is reversed.

e.g He has eaten the food = fiye me O fite (the food he eaten)

She has washed the plate = pani me A sikirite

Mary saw her brother = Meri Ar In'bere erim.

Expressing the Verb + Adverb combination

In the English language, verb comes before adverb. This is reversed in the Kalabari language.

e.g 1. come peacefully = dein bara ke bo

2. she sang melodiously = A bele poko ke (nume) sum

3 I will travel tomorrow = Ba A ye muba

In no. 1 come is the verb, peacefully the adverb

In no. 2 sang is the verb , melodiously the adverb

In no.3 travel is the verb, tomorrow the adverb

Expressing the Noun + Adjective combination

In the English language, adjective comes before noun. This is the same in the Kalabari language.

e.g black bag = krukrute akpa

tall man = gelete owibo

Wash that red bucket = ani awubia agbakuru me sikiri.

Expressing a sentence that begins with two verbs separated by a conjunction

e.g Go and wash that black bag = Mu ani krukrute akpa me sikiri

Go and arrest that thief = Mu ani furubo be kuun

NB: Here the 1st verb (go) begins the sentence and the 2nd verb( wash,arrest) ends the sentsnce. The conjunction "and" is not expressed.

Expressing words that end with the suffix

-able; -ble

In the Kalabari language, there are several ways to express these:

1. Put the words - na ibim after the key word.

e.g edible = fi na ibim or fi n'ibim

laughable = deri n'ibim

washable = sikiri n'ibim

laudable = boma n'ibim

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Expressing "Let..."

1. When it begins the sentence:

Let (sng) = Ye e.g Let us go = Ye wa so

Let (plr) = O ye e.g Let us go = O ye wa so

e.g Let him do it = Ye Or' ani ye

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Expressing "too much" and "too many"

In the Kalabari language, there are several ways to express these:

1. There is too much salt in the rice =

Arusu me bio fun bakam ( too much = bakam)

Arusu me bio fun fun fun ( tripling the word which depicts what is too much, in this case the salt = fun)

2. There are too many mistakes in the book =

Diri me bio beku bakam

Diri me bio beke beku beku

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