Topics in African Linguistics

Papers from the XXI Annual Conference on African Linguistics, University of Georgia, April 1990

Editors
| University of Chicago and University of Georgia
| University of Chicago and University of Georgia
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ISBN 9789027236104 (Eur) | EUR 120.00
ISBN 9781556195532 (USA) | USD 180.00
 
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ISBN 9789027277107 | EUR 120.00 | USD 180.00
 
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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.
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory, 100] 1993.  x, 304 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Table of Contents
“[...] highly informative and insightful [...]”
“[...] the sixteen papers in this volume have contributed in different ways and in varying degrees to the quality and usefulness of this volume not only to the description of various phenomena in African languages but also to the understanding of the nature and functioning of human language.”
Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Viladot, Maria-Ángels
2008. Book Review. Language Policy 7:1  pp. 71 ff. DOI logo

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Subjects

Main BIC Subject

CF: Linguistics

Main BISAC Subject

LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General
ONIX Metadata
ONIX 2.1
ONIX 3.0
U.S. Library of Congress Control Number:  93005761 | Marc record