Demonstratives in Chiyao: An analysis of their form, distribution and functions

This chapter aims to provide a description of Chiyao demonstratives with a particular focus on their form, distribution, and functions. It is shown that, morphologically, the Chiyao demonstrative consists of an initial element, which is always thevowel a-, followed by an agreement marker, and ends with a final element whichchanges according to the location of the referent in relation to the speaker or hearer.In cases of demonstrative doubling, the post-nominal demonstrative drops the initial vowel. Thus, it is proposed that the initial vowel in the Chiyao demonstrative isoptional. Within the broader classification of demonstratives in Bantu languages,the Chiyao demonstratives appear in four main types. These include pronominaldemonstratives, which are used as independent pronouns; adnominal demonstratives, which modify nouns; adverbial demonstratives, which modify verbs and locative nouns; and finally, identificational demonstratives, which occur in copula andnon-verbal clauses. With regard to their distribution, it is established that the Chiyao demonstrative can occur either post-nominally, or in both pre-nominal andpost-nominal positions simultaneously. Finally, it is shown that demonstrativesserve various grammatical and communicative functions, including expressing thelocation of an entity in relation to interlocutors, showing emphasis, indicating definiteness, and encoding anaphoric reference. These findings contribute to our further understanding of the behavior of demonstratives in Bantu languages and inform future descriptive and typological works in this area.