Locative expressions and their semantic extensions in Tima

Abstract Tima (Niger-Congo, Sudan), has three copulae playing a central role in locative expressions. The number-sensitive copulae, ŋ̀kɔ́ ‘ cop:sg ’ and ɲ̀cɛ́ ‘ cop:pl ’, primarily link two non-verbal phrases. The third copula, ŋ̀kwíyʌ̀ ‘ cop ’, indicates existence or availability. We discuss the distribution of these copulae in their core functions, in their extended uses as tense-aspect markers and consecutive marker, thereby illustrating instances of heterosemy, as well as their relation to focus marking. Furthermore, five positional verbs play a role in locative expressions: hɘ́làk ‘stay, remain, reside’, hʊ̀ndɔ́nɔ́ / hɘ̀ndáná ‘sit (down)’, dʊ́wà ‘stand (up)’, (k)ʌ́t̪ù ‘lie (down)’, and túùh ‘hang (up) ( plur )’. The broad use of these verbs is also investigated, particularly in combination with specifying adverbs in order to describe collocational probabilities and restrictions.