SYNTACTIC STRUCTURE AND ROLE OF PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES IN THE KIKUYU LANGUAGE

The Kikuyu language, a member of the Bantu family, is renowned for its complex linguistic features. Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition and provide additional information about the subject or object. Despite its significance, linguists have relatively understudied the Kikuyu language, particularly in prepositional phrase syntax. This study explores the syntactic and morphological criteria of Kikuyu lexicons, the structural composition, and the functions of prepositional phrases in the language. It employs the X-bar theory for analysis. Through a descriptive qualitative research approach and analysis of authentic Kikuyu language data, collected through participant observation and interviews, and sourced from relevant Kikuyu books and articles, various prepositional phrase structures emerge, encompassing structures such as Preposition + Noun Phrase (NP), Preposition + Gerund, Preposition + Determiner Phrase, Preposition + Adverbial Phrase, Noun + Post-position -inῖ, Adverb + Post- position -inῖ, and Preposition +Preposition+NP. These prepositional phrases fulfill various syntactic roles in Kikuyu sentences such as adverbial adjuncts, adjectival adjuncts, nominal adjuncts, prepositional adjuncts, and complementation roles. This research, employing X-bar theory, provides deeper insights into the hierarchical structure and syntactic relationships within prepositional phrases. Moreover, it enhances understanding of Kikuyu syntax, emphasizing the structure and role of prepositional phrases. This study advances Kikuyu linguistics and paves the way for further research into Bantu language syntax and computational linguistics, particularly for developing a comprehensive Kikuyu language corpus.