Movement in the Kiswahili sentence: A minimalist approach

Abstract

This is a study of movement in the Kiswahili sentence. It has described and illustrated head and operator movements. Head movement is discussed in passive and imperative sentences while operator movement is analyzed in view of negative and interrogative sentences. The study is found on the minimalist programme. The study is organized in five chapters. Chapter one is the introduction which constitutes the introduction, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, scope and justification. The theoretical framework and related literature are also discussed. The chapter ends by giving a description of the research methodology. The structure of Kiswahili sentence is discussed in chapter two. In this chapter word categories, phrasal categories and the stages of sentence formation are stipulated. Chapter three and four constitutes an analysis of movement. This chapter discusses and illustrates head movement while chapter four deals with operator movement. Both chapters discuss principles that motivate these movements. The last chapter is the conclusion of the study. It contains a summary of the findings. Conclusions and suggestions for further research.