The Ki-verb constructions in acholi

This paper investigates the grammaticalization of the Acholi verbal prefix ki, focusing on its development as a resultative marker. Drawing on Bybee, Pagliuca, and Perkins’ (1988) framework, the study contrasts resultatives with completives and passives, noting that Acholi’s ki prefix likely originates from a third person plural agreement affix rather than a lexical source. The analysis demonstrates that ki is used to highlight resulting states in procedural texts, with specific syntactic restrictions. The paper discusses how ki’s grammaticalization reflects broader changes in Acholi’s verbal system and considers possible future developments, such as evolution into a perfective, past, or passive marker. The findings contribute to understanding the diverse paths and sources of grammatical change in African languages (AI generated abstract, Copilot)