The Copula in the Oromo Language (Oromic)

Abstract

Not much attention is paid to the concept of copula in the Oromic grammar. Even among those few who incidentally raise it, there is little agreement on its existence or what represents it. The case of copula that attracts attention is the one in the simple present tense. Many authors consider particles like dha, ti and tu as well as null (í¸) and also miti ‘not' in some cases, while few consider the flying low tone on the final vowel on the prepausal nominals. In this article I argue that, whether we call it a copula or a predicative case, its representation is neither by the particles nor by the low flying tone but by the short vowel at the end of a predicative nominal. I further argue that some of the components or some of the particles considered as copulas are only epenthetic added to introduce the actual representation of copula which is a short vowel that cannot directly be added to an existing vowel at the end of the nominal. I disagree with those who consider tu or miti ‘not' as copula.