E-Book Overview
The 16 papers in this volume are revised versions of papers presented at the conference; they represent the state of the art in various subfields of African linguistics into which the book is organized: (1) morphosyntax, (2) semantics, (3) phonology, and (4) language contact. The last part covers topics such as code-switching and mixing, pidginization/creolization, and language planning.The papers in Part I: Morphosyntax focus particularly on the verb and verb phrase in a variety of Niger-Congo languages, discussing several aspects of the verb morphology. The specific languages discussed include Kinande, Kilega, Kinyarwanda (Larry Hyman), Kikongo-Kituba (M. Ngalasso), Duala (E. Bilao), Yoruba (S.A. Lawal), Ewe (A.S. Allen), and Gbaya 'Bodoe (P. Roulon-Doko). The papers in Part II: Semantics discuss foundational questions regarding the proper/common noun distinction in two geographically very distant African languages, Gborbo Krahn (Janet Bing) in the west and Luo (Ben G. Blount) in the east, which follow yet very similar principles. And, despite differences in the titles, the papers on Kivunjo (Lioba Moshi) and Emai (Schaefer and Egbokhare) address the question of the semantic basis for assigning property concepts to different lexical categories. There are two papers in Part III: Phonology, which are mostly on the prosodic features of Chiyao (Al Mtenje) and Manding (J. Tourville). In Part IV: Language Contact, Eyamba Bokamba's and C. Meyers-Scotton's papers discuss speech variation and mostly formal constraints associated with them, while Helma Pasch compares segmental features of Sango and Yakoma in the Central African Republic to determine whether the former is a creole. Edmun Richmond focuses on the choice of national official language in sub-Saharan Africa. Except for Pasch all of them cover several languages and geographical areas.
E-Book Content
TOPICS IN AFRICAN LINGUISTICS
AMSTERDAM STUDIES IN THE THEORY AND HISTORY OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE General Editor E.F. KONRAD KOERNER (University of Ottawa)
Series IV - CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTIC THEORY
Advisory Editorial Board Henning Andersen (Los Angeles); Raimo Anttila (Los Angeles) Thomas V. Gamkrelidze (Tbilisi); John E. Joseph (Hong Kong) Hans-Heinrich Lieb (Berlin); Ernst Pulgram (Ann Arbor, Mich.) E. Wyn Roberts (Vancouver, B.C.); Danny Steinberg (Tokyo)
Volume 100
Salikoko S. Mufwene and Lioba Moshi (eds) Topics in African Linguistics
TOPICS IN AFRICAN LINGUISTICS Edited by
SALIKOKO S. MUFWENE University of Chicago
LIOBA MOSHI University of Georgia
with the assistance of BEN G. BLOUNT and DEBORAH SCHMIDT
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA 1993
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Topics in African Linguistics / edited by Salikoko S. Mufwene, Lioba Moshi, with the assistance of Ben G. Blount and Deborah Schmidt. p. cm. -- (Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Series IV, Current issues in linguistic theory, ISSN 0304-0763; v. 100) Selection of papers presented at the 21st Conference on African Linguistics, held Apr. 12-14, 1990, University of Georgia. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. 1. African linguistics-Congresses. I. Mufwene, Salikoko S. II. Moshi, Lioba J. III. Conference on African Linguistics (21st : 1990 : University of Georgia) IV. Series. PL8002.T67 1993 496-dc20 93-5761 ISBN 90 272 3610 0 (Eur.)/l-55619-553-2 (US) (alk. paper) CIP © Copyright 1993 - John Benjamins B.V. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O. Box