some Gbe languages, a topic marker is suffixed to the topicalized element. In other Gbe languages the topic has to be definite. A topicalized element precedes the focused element in a sentence containing both. Negation is expressed in various ways in the Gbe languages. In general, three methods of negation can be distinguished: Languages like Gungbe express negation by a preverbal marker má; Fongbe-type languages express negation either like Gungbe, or with a sentence-final marker ã; and languages like Ewegbe require both the preverbal marker mé and a sentence-final marker o. Gbe languages share an areal feature found in many languages of the Volta basin, the serial verb construction. This means that two or more verbs can be juxtaposed in one clause, sharing the same subject, lacking conjunctive markings, resulting in a meaning that expresses the consecutive or simultaneous aspect of the actions of the verbs. See also List of Proto-Gbe reconstructions (Wiktionary) Notes and references Notes References Aboh, O. Enoch (2004) The Morphosyntax of Complement-Head Sequences (Clause Structure and Word Order Patterns in Kwa) New York etc.: Oxford University Press. Amenumey, D.E.K. (2002) History of the Ewe. Retrieved May 11, 2005. Ansre, Gilbert (1961) The Tonal Structure of Ewe. MA Thesis, Kennedy School of Missions of Hartford Seminary Foundation. Ameka, Felix Kofi (2001) 'Ewe'. In Garry and Rubino (eds.), Facts About the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present, 207–213. New York/Dublin: The H.W. Wilson Company. Blench, Roger (2006) Archaeology, Language, and the African Past. AltaMira Press. Capo, Hounkpati B.C. (1981) 'Nasality in Gbe: A Synchronic Interpretation' Studies in African Linguistics, 12, 1, 1–43. Capo, Hounkpati B.C. (1988) Renaissance du Gbe: Réflexions critiques et constructives sur L'EVE, le FON, le GEN, l'AJA, le GUN, etc. Hamburg: Helmut Buske Verlag. Capo, Hounkpati B.C. (1991) A Comparative Phonology of Gbe, Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 14. Berlin/New York: Foris Publications & Garome, Bénin: Labo Gbe (Int). Cust, Robert Needham (1883) Modern Languages of Africa. Duthie, A.S. & Vlaardingerbroek, R.K. (1981) Bibliography of Gbe – publications on and in the language Basel: Basler Afrika Bibliographien. Greenberg, Joseph H. (1966) The Languages of Africa (2nd ed. with additions and corrections). Bloomington: Indiana University. Greene, Sandra E. (2002) Sacred Sites: The Colonial Encounter. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. (online version) Henrici, Ernst (1891) Lehrbuch der Ephe-Sprache (Ewe) Anlo-, Anecho- und Dahome-Mundart (mit Glossar und einer Karte der Sklavenküste).