L’opposition accompli / inaccompli en wolof contemporain

Abstract

How the aspect polarity is encoded in contemporary Wolof? Tackling such an issue and trying to bring a methodological clarification on it, implies a contribution to a better understanding of Wolof verbal system. How to identify and isolate morphemes in an agglutinative language like Wolof, without resorting to a diachronic analysis, somewhat full of incoherence? In this article, we will introduce the dichotomy achieved/unachieved throughout the different Wolof conjugation paradigms in order to shed light on some blurred aspects of the topic. For a better understanding of Wolof verbal system, it is compulsory to have a clear idea of the role played by aspect. Such an approach is also a contribution to typological as well as dialectological studies.

Keywords

• wolof
• aspectual polarity
• achieved/unachieved
• verbal system