The Structure and Categorization of Lubukusu Body-Part Idioms

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the syntactic structure and categorisation of Lubukusu human body part idioms. It describes the syntactic structure of these idioms and explores their categorisation from a syntactic point of view. The study draws on Lubukusu human body part idioms and examines their morphological properties and syntactic features, focusing on the structural relationships between words, phrases, and concepts. The analysis employs morphological and syntactic interface tests and constituency tests, including substitution and movement, to establish the structural boundaries of the idioms. The findings indicate that V+N and Adj+N are the dominant syntactic structures of idioms in Lubukusu. The study also establishes four distinct structural categories: verbal, adjectival, prepositional, and nominative clausal idioms. These findings offer critical insights into Bantu morphosyntax and provide a framework for future comparative studies on idiom categorisation.