Uses of the Habitual Marker (Feature 48)
From Apics
Navigation: ← prev | next → | Overview | Feature Areas | Socioling. Features
Feature Annotation
An overt marker which fulfills the function of the habitual often fulfills other functions as well. This feature asks about the additional functions a habitual marker may have. It is analogous to the preceding Feature 47 ("Uses of the Progressive Marker"); therefore some values of Features 47 and 48 may overlap. You may select several values if there are several habitual markers in the language.
From our comparative perspective, it is not important whether the habitual function of the marker is the “basic” function.
In Angolar, for instance, the marker ka does not mark verbs that refer to ongoing activities, but only (some) verbs that refer to current states, to habitual events, and to future events:
Ê ka kôntê m.
she ipfv hate me
‘She hates me.’ (current state)
Olo ma a ka tê m’me, a ka n’dja laba mo
hour rel indf hab have.to eat indef hab first wash hand
‘When one has to eat, one has to wash hands first.’ (habitual)
Olo ma a ka manda tia e, thô kwa ka fika masi bwaru.
hour rel indf fut govern country dem then thing fut stay more good.
‘When he governs, everything will be better.’ (future)
Additional remarks
Notice that we only look at overt markers. If habitual is expressed by the plain verb without any overt marker (as e.g. in German), value 1 should be chosen.
Values
| Value | Value Annotation | |
| 1 | No habitual marker exists | Réunion Creole |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Only habitual | Haitian Creole konn |
| 3 | Habitual and current state | |
| 4 | Habitual and progressive | |
| 5 | Habitual and future | Lungwa Santome ka |
| 6 | Habitual, current state and progressive | Bislama, Ternateño |
| 7 | Habitual, current state and future | Angolar ka |
| 8 | Habitual, progressive and future | |
| 9 | Habitual, current state, progressive and future | |
WALS No.
(None)
