Datapoint Pichi/Functions of reduplication

There are two types of iteration in Pichi. Reduplication is only attested with dynamic verbs and expresses verbal number, hence notions such as iterative aspect, and is very often found in clauses involving more than one participant. Reduplication involves the tonal derivation characteristic of compounding. It is formally no different from compounding, except that the left component is a copy of the head (base). Repetition, the second type, is found with all major word classes. It renders emphatic and intensifying meanings. It involves syntactic concatenation rather than a morphological process. The word in question can be repeated more than once for increased emphasis and dramatic effect.

Values

Only iconic functions

Example 19-45:
Bɔ̀t in sìdɔ́n dɔn dɔn dɔn yàndá.
Bɔ̀t
but
in
3sg.emph
sìdɔ́n
stay
dɔn
down
dɔn
rep
dɔn
rep
yàndá.
yonder
But he lives far down there.

Source: Yakpo 2009: 325

Example 19-46:
Sɔ̀ntɛ́n è bìn dè jùmp-jump jùmp-jump pero è stret naw.
Sɔ̀ntɛ́n
perhaps
è
3sg.sbj
bìn
pst
dè
ipfv
jùmp~jump
red.cpd.jump
jùmp~jump
red.cpd.jump
pero
but
è
3sg.sbj
stret
be.straight
naw.
now
Perhaps she was jumping around aimlessly all the time but she’s upright now.

Source: Yakpo 2009: 148

Confidence:
Certain