Repeated Descriptive Forms
Kékeré ‘small’, kúkúrú ‘short’ and búburú ‘bad’ repeat initial material.
How It Works
Some established descriptive forms repeat initial material with its vowel: kéré → kékeré ‘small’, kúrú → kúkúrú ‘short’ and burú → búburú ‘bad’. These are partial formations, not two complete copies of the base. Their ordinary meanings do not require ‘very’.
Compare a property predicate such as Àpò náà kéré ‘The bag is small’ with the noun phrase àpò kékeré ‘a small bag’. The descriptive form follows the noun. Its shape is learned with the lexical item; it is not an agreement ending.
The references also discuss full-copy degree forms, but their prosodic restrictions should not be extended to every property formation or to activity gerunds. In particular, the minimum-weight restriction for full copying does not explain the partial forms here. Descriptive repetition adds no gender ending and is not a general plural marker.
Examples (3)
- Mo ra àpò kékeré kan.
I bought a small bag.
Kékeré expresses the ordinary property ‘small’.
- Ọ̀nà kúkúrú yìí dára.
This short route is good.
Kúkúrú follows the noun it describes.
- Ìwà búburú náà kò dára.
That bad behavior is not good.
Búburú is an established partially repeated descriptive form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Learn each established descriptive form; repetition does not always mean ‘very’.
Related Patterns
Practice Repeated Descriptive Forms in Bubblegum
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