Analysing transitivity of body parts fear and joy metaphors in Akan

Research has shown that many languages derive emotion expressions from human body parts. However, such studies, especially for African languages, often focus on either the metaphoricity of emotions or the expression of anger, to the almost neglect of the grammar of such expressions. In this paper, we examine the lexicogrammar of Akan (Niger-Congo, Kwa) fear and joy expressions that are derived from body parts via the system of TRANSITIVITY. Data was collected from multiple sources, including discourse data and data from Akan narrative texts, elicited data from native speakers of Akan, constructed examples, and data from published works on emotion metaphors. The analysis shows that both fear and joy are construed with material processes, mental processes, and relational processes, whereas fear expressions reveal patterns also for behavioural processes. In material processes, body parts associated with both fear and joy expressions realise Actor and Accompaniment. For mental clauses, body parts serve as Phenomenon in both fear and joy expressions. In relational clauses, body parts joy expressions are Attribute, Possessed and Carrier, whereas body parts realise Attribute, Attributor and Possessed in fear expressions. Finally, in behavioural processes, body parts associated with fear realise Behaver. This paper contributes to Systemic Functional language description and the development and documentation of Akan. It is also a significant contribution to the grammars of Niger-Congo languages. © Esther Asare 2023.