BivalTyp

Twi

Contributed by Kwadwo Brobbey Nti.

K.N.'s photo

The data were gathered in 2024 by Kwadwo Brobbey Nti in his capacity of a native speaker of Twi. In the process of preparing the dataset, we benefited from feedback from Natalia Bogomolova and then Andrey Shluinsky. The English version of the questionnaire was used for elicitation.

How to cite

Nti, Kwadwo Brobbey. 2024. Bivalent patterns in Twi. In: Say, Sergey (ed.). BivalTyp: Typological database of bivalent verbs and their encoding frames. (Data first published on June 21, 2024; last revised on October 5, 2024.) (Available online at https://www.bivaltyp.info, Accessed on )

Basic info

Data

Subset examples by valency pattern
Subset examples by locus

1. feel pain wᴐ

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi wᴐ tiyadeε bi
pn have(3 sg . prs ) headache indef
‘Kofi has a headache.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as part of a nominal compound.

2. have (illness) wᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi wᴐ papu no
pn have(3 sg . prs ) flu def
‘Kofi has the flu.’

3. be afraid suro

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi suro ᴐkraman no
pn fear(3 sg . prs ) dog def
‘Kofi is afraid of the dog.’

4. throw to

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi to-o εboᴐ bi
pn throw- pst stone indef
‘Kofi threw a stone.’

5. have enough wᴐ dodoᴐ

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
seesei Kofi wᴐ sika dodoᴐ
now pn have(3 sg . prs ) money enough
‘Kofi now has enough money.’
Note: Not included in the database because the intended meaning is expressed by a structurally discontinuous combination (predicate + adnominal modifier).

6. resemble

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi nanabarima
pn resemble(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi resembles grandfather.’

7. believe gye di

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi gye nanabarima di
pn take(3 sg . prs ) grandfather handle
‘Kofi believes grandfather.’
Note: CV. The glosses are partially based on the dictionary information.

8. take fa

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi fa-a nwoma bi
pn take- pst book indef
‘Kofi took a book.’

9. see hunu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hunu efie bi
pn see(3 sg . prs ) house indef
‘Kofi sees a house.’

10. influence kentene

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
mfeε kentene nkaeε
age influence(3 sg . prs ) memory
‘Age influences memory.’

11. encounter hyia

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hyia-a nanabarima
pn encounter- pst grandfather
‘Kofi encountered grandfather.’

12. enter wura

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
Kofi wura-a efie no mu
pn enter- pst house def in
‘Kofi entered the house.’

13. win di nkunim

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
Kofi di-i nanabarima so nkunim
pn handle- pst grandfather on victory
‘Kofi beat grandfather.’
Note: CV

14. go out pue firi

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
Kofi pue-e firi fie no mu
pn go- pst come.out house def in
‘Kofi went out of the house.’
Note: CV

15. drive ka

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-ka nantwie no
pn prog -touch cow def
‘Kofi is driving the cow.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb means 'to touch'.

16. bend koa

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi koa-a nkorabata no
pn bend- pst branch def
‘Kofi bent the branch.’

17. tell kakyerε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kakyerε-ε nanabarima
pn tell- pst grandfather
‘Kofi told grandfather.’

18. hold kita

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-kita nwoma bi
pn prog -hold book indef
‘Kofi is holding a book.’

19. catch up kᴐto

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kᴐto-o ne nanabarima
pn catch(up)- pst 3 sg ( poss ) grandfather
‘Kofi caught up with grandfather.’

20. milk kyim nufusuo

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi kyim-m nantwie nufusuo no
pn extract- pst cow breast.milk def
‘Kofi milked the cow.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

21. reach duru

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
Kofi duru-u kokoᴐ no so
pn reach- pst bank def on
‘Kofi reached the bank.’

22. touch sᴐ

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
Kofi sᴐ-ᴐ fasuo no mu
pn touch- pst wall def in
‘Kofi touched the wall.’

23. fight ko

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ne nanabarima re-ko
pn conj grandfather prog -fight
‘Kofi and his grandfather are fighting.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

24. be friends yε amfoᴐ

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ne nanabarima nn-amfoᴐ
pn conj grandfather be/do pl -friend
‘Kofi and grandfather are friends.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

25. think dwene

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi re-dwene nanabarima ho
pn prog -think grandfather about
‘Kofi is thinking about grandfather.’

26. eat di

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi di-i aprε bi
pn handle- pst apple indef
‘Kofi ate an apple.’

27. fry kye

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kye-e nsuomnam no
pn fry- pst fish def
‘Kofi fried the fish.’

28. wait twεn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-twεn nanabarima
pn prog -wait grandfather
‘Kofi is waiting for grandfather.’

29. forget werεfiri

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi werε-firi-i kwan foforᴐ no
pn mind-remove- pst road other def
‘Kofi forgot the other road.’

30. depend gyina

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
nkaeε gyina mfeε so
memory stand(3 sg . prs ) age on
‘Memory depends on age.’

31. call frε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi frε-ε nanabarima
pn call- pst grandfather
‘Kofi called grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, this verb means 'to like, want, need'.

32. get to know hunu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hunu-u nanabarima bεyε afe
pn see- pst grandfather ago year
‘Kofi got to know grandfather a year ago.’

33. know nim

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi nim nanabarima
pn know(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi knows grandfather.’

34. play (instrument) bᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-bᴐ sanku no
pn prog -hit guitar def
‘Kofi is playing the guitar.’

35. avoid tetε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi tetε nanabarima
pn avoid(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi avoids grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, this verb means 'to arrive'.

36. make

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi yε-ε nkurafidie bi
pn be/do- pst mousetrap indef
‘Kofi made a mousetrap.’

37. make fun di fεw

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi re-di nanabarima ho fεw
pn prog -handle grandfather about mockery
‘Kofi is making fun of grangfather.’
Note: CV

38. have wᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi wᴐ lᴐᴐle bi
pn have(3 sg . prs ) car indef
‘Kofi has a car.’

39. look for hwehwε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-hwehwε ne safoa
pn prog -look 3 sg ( poss ) key
‘Kofi is looking for his key.’

40. paint ka

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi ka-a ban no ho
pn touch- pst fence def about
‘Kofi painted the fence.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb means 'to touch'.

41. bite ka

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
ᴐkraman bi ka-a nanabarima
dog indef touch- pst grandfather
‘A dog bit grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb means 'to touch'.

42. forfeit hwere

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hwere-e ne fie
pn lose- pst 3 sg ( poss ) house
‘Kofi lost his house.’

43. try to catch kyere

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-kyere ᴐkra no
pn prog -catch cat def
‘Kofi is trying to catch the cat.’

44. break bu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi bu-u abaa bi
pn break- pst stick indef
‘Kofi broke a stick.’

45. flatter dεfεdεfε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-dεfεdεfε nanabarima
pn prog -flatter grandfather
‘Kofi is flattering grandfather.’

46. love (person) dᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi dᴐ nanabarima
pn love(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi loves grandfather.’

47. wave woso

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-woso duku bi
pn prog -wave handkerchief indef
‘Kofi is waving a handkerchief.’

48. dream so daeε

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi re-so lᴐᴐle mono bi ho daeε
pn prog -reach car new indef about dream
‘Kofi is dreaming of a new car.’
Note: CV

49. wash hohoro

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hohoro-o kuruwa no
pn wash- pst cup def
‘Kofi washed the cup.’

50. put on hyε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hyε-ε ne trokoso
pn put(on)- pst 3 sg ( poss ) trousers
‘Kofi put on his trousers.’

51. be called frε

Valency pattern: DO_PSEUDOOBJ
X: DO
Y: PSEUDOOBJ
Locus: XY
saa akadeε yi yε-frε-ε no kᴐmpase
this tool def 1 pl -call- pst def compass
‘This tool is called a compass.’
Note: Probably, “no” should be interpreted as a 3SG.O marker. At any event, this structure involves topicalization (cf. ‘This thing, we call it compass’) and the verb as such is transitive, with the thing given the name being the direct object.

52. punish twe aso

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi twe-e ne babarima aso
pn pull- pst 3 sg ( poss ) son ear
‘Kofi punished his son.’
Note: CV

53. attack tohyε

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
pataku bi tohyε-ε ᴐpofoni bi so
bear indef attack- pst fisherman indef on
‘A bear attacked a fisherman.’

54. fill (intr) hyε ma

Valency pattern: mu_SBJ
X: mu
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
nsuo hyε-ε bokiti no mu ma
water stick- pst bucket def in full
‘The bucket filled with water.’
Note: CV. In the dictionary (p. 205) the meaning of "hyε ma" is described as "to make full".

55. find hunu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hunu-u ne n-safoa
pn find- pst 3 sg ( poss ) pl -key
‘Kofi found his keys.’

56. be short nni

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi nni euro baako
pn lack(3 sg ) euro one
‘Kofi lacks one euro.’

57. hate tan

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi tan nanabarima
pn hate(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi hates grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb is spelled "taŋ".

58. like

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi saa atadeε yi
pn like(3 sg . prs ) this shirt def
‘Kofi likes this shirt.’

59. need hia

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hia sika
pn need(3 sg . prs ) money
‘Kofi needs money.’

60. surround twa

Valency pattern: SBJ_hyia
X: SBJ
Y: hyia
Locus: Y
a-fasuo twa kuropᴐn no hyia
pl -wall cut city det around
‘Walls surround the city.’
Note: CV. See the 11th meaning of "hyia" in the dictionary (p. 212).

61. remain ka

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
a-ka Kofi 10 euros
perf -leave pn 10 euros
‘Kofi has 10 euros left.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

62. answer bua

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi bua-a ᴐkyerεkyerεni no
pn answer- pst teacher def
‘Kofi answered the teacher.’

63. open bue

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi bue-e toa no
pn open- pst can def
‘Kofi opened the can.’

64. be different danso firi

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
daabi, m’=atadeε no danso firi wo deε ho
no( neg ) 1 sg ( poss )=shirt def to_be_distinguished come.out 2 sg poss about
‘No, my shirt is different from yours.’
Note: CV

65. fall behind ka

Valency pattern: SBJ_akyi
X: SBJ
Y: akyi
Locus: Y
Kofi ka-a nanabarima akyi
pn touch- pst grandfather behind
‘Kofi fell behind grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb means 'to touch'.

66. plough funtum

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-funtum asaase no
pn prog -plough field def
‘Kofi is ploughing the field.’

67. smell hwa

Valency pattern: SBJ_tese
X: SBJ
Y: tese
Locus: Y
me nsa hwa tesε fagoo
1 sg ( poss ) hands smell like gasoline
‘My hands smell like gasoline.’

68. cross twa

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi twa-a kwan no
pn cut- pst road def
‘Kofi crossed the road.’

69. sing to

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi to-o dwom dεεdε bi
pn throw- pst song beautiful indef
‘Kofi sang a beautiful song.’

70. write twerε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi twerε-ε krataa bi
pn write- pst letter indef
‘Kofi wrote a letter.’

71. drink nom

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi nom-m meekye no
pn drink- pst milk def
‘Kofi drank the milk.’

72. melt naane

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi naane-e kᴐbere sini bi
pn melt- pst lead piece indef
‘Kofi melted a piece of lead.’

73. match kᴐ yie

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
saa abᴐso yi ne m’=atadeε kᴐ yie
this belt def conj 1 sg . poss =dress go( prs ) well
‘This belt goes well with my dress.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

74. leave firi

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi firi-i ne a kuropᴐn ofirim
pn leave- pst 3 sg . poss indef city native
‘Kofi left his native city.’

75. cover kata

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
ntiasoᴐ no kata fam no nyinaa
carpet def cover(3 sg . prs ) floor def whole
‘The carpet covers the whole floor.’

76. remember kae

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kae fie no yie
pn remember(3 sg . prs ) house def well
‘Kofi remembers the house well.’

77. help boa

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi boa-a nanabarima
pn help- pst grandfather
‘Kofi helped grandfather.’

78. understand (language) te ase

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi te Franse kasa ase
pn perceive(3 sg . prs ) f rench language sense
‘Kofi understands French.’
Note: CV

79. hit (target) bᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
ayiremo bᴐ-ᴐ fie no
lightning hit- pst house def
‘Lightning hit the house.’

80. cut oneself twa ne ho

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi de bleedi bi twa-a ne ho
pn hold blade indef cut- pst 3 sg . poss about
‘Kofi cut himself with a blade.’
Note: Not included in the database because the intended meaning is expressed by a combination of two clauses.

81. get stuck ka

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
abobᴐdeε no ka-a pono no so
glass def touch- pst table def on
‘The glass got stuck to the table.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb means 'to touch'.

82. lose (game) di nkoguo

Valency pattern: SBJ_wo
X: SBJ
Y: wo
Locus: Y
Kofi di-i nkoguo wᴐ nanabarima
pn handle- pst failure at<have(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi lost to grandfather.’
Note: CV

83. be glad ani gye

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ani gye-e krataa no ho
pn eye take- pst letter def about
‘Kofi was rejoiced about the letter.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

84. speak kasa

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ne nanabarima re-kasa
pn conj grandfather prog -speak
‘Kofi is speaking with grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

85. give birth wo

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
maame no wo-o babarima bi
woman def give_birth- pst son indef
‘The woman gave birth to a son.’

86. drop gya

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
Kofi gya-a abobᴐdeε no mu
pn leave- pst glass def in
‘Kofi dropped the glass.’

87. govern di

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
Kofi di yεn kuro so
pn handle(3 sg . prs ) 1 p . pl ( poss ) town on
‘Kofi governs our town.’

88. miss afe

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi afe nanabarima
pn miss(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi misses grandfather.’

89. follow di

Valency pattern: SBJ_akyi
X: SBJ
Y: akyi
Locus: Y
Kofi di nanabarima akyi
pn handle(3 sg . prs ) grandfather behind
‘Kofi follows grandfather

90. dismount sifiri

Valency pattern: SBJ_so
X: SBJ
Y: so
Locus: Y
Kofi sifiri-i pᴐnkᴐ no so
pn get_down- pst horse def on
‘Kofi got down from the horse.’

91. listen tie

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-tie kasanoma
pn prog -listen radio
‘Kofi is listening to radio.’

92. obey tie

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi tie ne maame aberebiara
pn listen( prs ) 3 sg . poss mother always
‘Kofi always listens to his mother.’

93. hear te

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi te nwom no
pn perceive(3 sg . prs ) music def
‘Kofi hears the music.’

94. mix fra

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
εwoᴐ no fra-a meekye no
honey def mix- pst milk def
‘The honey got mixed with the milk.’

95. look hwε

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi re-hwε m-mununkum no
pn prog -look pl -cloud def
‘Kofi is looking at the clouds.’

96. take off woro

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi woro-o n’=atadeε
pn take_off- pst 3 sg . poss =shirt
‘Kofi took off his shirt.’

97. dream (sleeping) so daeε

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi so nanabarima ho daeε
pn reach grandfather about dream
‘Kofi dreams about grandfather.’
Note: CV

98. agree yε adwene

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ne nanabarima yε-ε adwene
pn with grandfather be/do- pst mind
‘Kofi agreed with grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

99. have a quarrel wᴐ akasakasa

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ne nanabarima wᴐ akasakasa bi
pn with grandfather have(3 sg . prs ) quarrel indef
‘Kofi has a quarrel with grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X and Y are expressed as a coordinate NP.

100. cost

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
saa kuruwa yi baako euro
this cup def be/do one euro
‘This cup costs one euro.’

101. shoot at to tuo

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi to-o anomaa no tuo
pn throw- pst bird def gun
‘Kofi shot at the bird.’
Note: CV

102. pour hwie

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hwie-e asikyire no
pn pour- pst sugar def
‘Kofi poured the sugar.’

103. lose yera

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi yera-a ne n-safoa
pn lose- pst 3 sg ( poss ) pl -key
‘Kofi lost his keys.’

104. sink mem

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
dua no mem-m nsuo no mu
tree def sink- pst river def in
‘The log sank in the river.’

105. kill kum

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kum-m nanabarima
pn kill- pst grandfather
‘Kofi killed grandfather.’

106. hit bᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi bᴐ-ᴐ nanabarima
pn hit- pst grandfather
‘Kofi hit grandfather.’

107. kiss fe ano

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi fe-e nanabarima ano
pn like- pst grandfather lip
‘Kofi kissed grandfather.’
Note: CV

108. read kan

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi kan-n nwoma anikanika bi
pn read- pst book interesting indef
‘Kofi read an interesting book.’

109. move (bodypart) keka

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi keka-a ne nsatea
pn move- pst 3 sg ( poss ) finger
‘Kofi moved his finger.’

110. respect bu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi bu nanabarima
pn respect(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi respects grandfather.’

111. be squeamish akyiwadeɛ yɛ

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi akyiwadeɛ n-kukuo fi
pn taboo is pl -dish dirty
‘Kofi is squeamish about dirty dishes,’ lit. ‘Kofi’s taboo is dirty dishes..’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

112. be content bodwo

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi bodwo-o ne ba no ho
pn be_satisfied- pst 3 sg ( poss ) son def about
‘Kofi is satisfied with his son.’

113. fall in love tᴐ dᴐ

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi tᴐ-ᴐ Mary dᴐ mu
pn fall- pst pn love in
‘Kofi fell in love with Mary.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

114. trust wᴐ awerɛhyɛm

Valency pattern: SBJ_mu
X: SBJ
Y: mu
Locus: Y
Kofi wᴐ nanabarima mu awerɛhyɛm
pn have(3 sg . prs ) grandfather in trust
Kofi has trust in grandfather.’
Note: CV

115. sympathise wᴐ tema

Valency pattern: SBJ_ma
X: SBJ
Y: ma
Locus: Y
Kofi wᴐ tema ma ne maame
pn have(3 sg . prs ) sympathy for 3 sg ( poss ) mother
‘Kofi sympathises with his mother.’.
Note: CV. Although most adpositions are used as postpositions, here, “ma” is used a preposition.

116. envy anibere

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi anibere nanabarima
pn envy(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi envies grandfather.’

117. be angry bo fu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi bo a-fu nanabarima
pn breast perf -swell grandfather
‘Kofi is angry with his grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier. Arguably, this sentence literally means ‘Kofi’s breast got swollen at his grandfather’. See (Christaller 1933: 29, 142)

118. be surprised dwiri

Valency pattern: ho_wo
X: ho
Y: wo
Locus: XY
Kofi ho dwiri-i no wᴐ saa akyεdeε yi
pn about disperse- pst def at<have(3 sg . prs ) this gift def
‘Kofi was surprised at this gift.’
Note: The identification of the valency pattern is tentative. The postposition “ho” is the grammaticalized use of the original noun ‘exterior’.

119. love (tea) dᴐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi dᴐ tee
pn love(3 sg . prs ) tea
‘Kofi loves tea.’

120. enjoy ani gye

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ani gye tee hyeehye ho
pn eye take(3 sg . prs ) tea hot about
‘Kofi enjoys hot tea.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

121. want hia

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi hia fon foforᴐ
pn want(3 sg . prs ) phone new
‘Kofi wants a new mobile phone.’

122. have a grudge wᴐ trimpᴐ

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi wᴐ nanabarima ho trimpᴐ
pn have(3 sg . prs ) grandfather about grudge
‘Kofi has a grudge against grandfather.’
Note: CV

123. take offence bo fu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi bo fu-u nanabarima
pn breast swell- pst grandfather
‘Kofi got cross with grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier. Arguably, this sentence literally means ‘Kofi’s breast got swollen at his grandfather’. See (Christaller 1933: 29, 142)

124. upset bu fu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi bu fu-u nanabarima paa
pn break swell- pst grandfather greatly
‘Kofi greatly upset grandfather.’
Note: This structure is not clear. Probably, this is a transitive complex verb. Cf. 123. Kwadwo’s comment: "Unhappy/upset/angry are translated as ‘abufuo’ that is noun/ ‘bu fuu’ that is verb(PST)."

125. marvel ani gye

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ani gye-e kuro yi ho
pn eye take- pst town this about
‘Kofi was impressed by this town.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

126. despise tan

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Kofi tan nanabarima
pn despise(3 sg . prs ) grandfather
‘Kofi despises grandfather.’
Note: In the dictionary, the verb is spelled "taŋ".

127. get upset bo fu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi bo fu-u ne babarima
pn breast swell- pst 3 sg ( poss ) son
‘Kofi got upset with his son.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier. Arguably, this sentence literally means ‘Kofi’s breast got swollen at his son’. See (Christaller 1933: 29, 142)

128. get irritated nya abufuo

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi re-nya ne babaa ho abufuo
pn prog -get 3 sg ( poss ) daughter about irritated
‘Kofi is getting arritated by his daughter.’
Note: CV

129. be fond ani gye

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Kofi ani gye nanabarima ho
pn eye take grandfather about
‘Kofi is fond of grandfather.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

130. be shy fɛre

Valency pattern: SBJ_ho
X: SBJ
Y: ho
Locus: Y
Kofi fɛre ne tenten ho
pn be_shy 3 sg ( poss ) height about
‘Kofi is shy about his height.’