On the Verbal Functional Categories in Kisukuma: Polysemous Perspectives

Abstract

This study investigates the semantics of the verbal functional categories in Kisukuma from a cognitive grammar perspective, highlighting their multifunctional roles in verbal constructions. The topic of verbal functional categories in Kisukuma is under-researched despite exhibiting a high degree of semantic flexibility, with meanings that vary according to phonological, syntactic, and contextual factors. The article used cognitive grammar theory whose selection depended on the semantic conceptualisation of the lexeme’s meaning. That is to say, the meaning of the factor can be core and peripheral. This work used a descriptive approach to describe the polysemous roles of the auxiliary. The study used six Sukuma native informants aged 50 -70 from the Geita rural District of Geita region, specifically from Nyamboge village. Three methods of data collection were applied, namely: focus group discussion, critical documents review, and intuitive knowledge. The data was analysed under cognitive grammar theory and presented using Leipzig Glossing Rules. It was found that verbal functional categories exhibit multifunctional roles in Kisukuma, which are triggered by contextual, syntactic, and tonal shifts in the language. The findings underscore the dynamic interplay between form and function in Kisukuma, revealing that polysemy is not marginal but central to the auxiliary system. This research contributes to broader typological discussions on auxiliary polysemy in Bantu languages and informs theoretical models of grammaticalisation.