Grammatical and Functional Role: The Linker “a”
Beyond its phonemic status, /a/ manifests as the standalone linker morpheme “a” (pronounced [a] or [ʔa] word-initially), a crucial grammatical element in Boie’nen syntax. As a free particle, it serves multiple functions without altering its phonemic form:
• Connecting verbs to nouns (LINK): Links predicates to arguments for cohesion, e.g., “Nikaen a agin” (Ni-kaen a agin; ‘The child’s eating’), where “a” bridges the verb to the noun.
• Indicating modification (MOD): Signals attributive relationships, e.g., “Poti’ a babayi” (Poti’ a babayi; ‘White lady’), where “a” marks the adjective modifying the noun.
• Creating grammatical cohesion (COH): Ensures syntactic flow, distinguishing from separate clauses, e.g., “A pikaen agin” (‘What’s being eaten’s a child’).
• Euphonic Epenthesis (LNK): In patereng na = “about to stop” (verb + particle) and paterengana = “make [it] stop [now]” (causative + root + -a- linker + cessative suffix); the -a- is not meaningful — it’s a phonological fix to avoid ŋn. This is a classic case of euphonic epenthesis in Philippine-type agglutination
The presence/absence of “a” shifts meaning pragmatically:
• With “a”: Implies the subject performs the action (agentive focus), e.g., “Nipakaen a agin” (‘The child is doing the feeding’).
• Without “a”: Implies the action targets the object (patientive focus), e.g., “Nipakaen agin” (‘Someone is feeding the child’).
The linker "a" is a crucial element in Boie'nen grammar, enabling precise and nuanced expression of complex relationships.