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Studies in African Linguistics Volume 49 Number 1 , 2020

2020

The tonal system of Nuer has been a matter of much uncertainty. Here we present empirical evidence in favor of a three toneme system with some typologically rare features. One of them is an intriguing case of allotony based on the phonation of the vowel: the High toneme has a falling allotone over modal vowels. Moreover, the Rising toneme has four allotones: a rising, a mid, a low and a falling allotone. The falling allotone of the Rising toneme also occurs only on modal vowels in specific contexts. We suggest that some of the allotonic variation is motivated by tonal contour simplification. We also point out the role of free variation in some of the allotonic alternations, and the constraints that put limits on the free variation between allotones.

On the Status of Subject Markers in African Languages

Studies in Linguistics, 2017

This paper discusses subject markers in African languages, noting that whereas the grammatical functions of these morphemes are fairly clear; their status as affixes or clitics is not. The unclear status of subject markers has led to their analysis as affixes in some languages or as clitics in others. It has been suggested recently that African subject markers, which have been traditionally regarded as affixes, can be reanalyzed as clitics. The paper highlights the fact that in some African languages, subject markers that were previously analyzed as affixes have now been analyzed as clitics, suggesting that there is an on-going process of grammaticalization of African subject markers. On the basis of a variety of data and characteristic phonological and syntactic behaviour, this paper successfully and consistently shows that subject markers in some African languages should not be analyzed as affixes but as clitics. Consequently, the paper recommends that African subject (and/or object) markers in languages not discussed in this study should be investigated, based on cross-linguistic and language-internal evidence, to establish their status as morphological affixes or as syntactic clitics.

DP Positions in African Languages

2010

Abstract: A central concern of syntactic theory has long been to explain and predict the distribution of nominal expressions, henceforth D (eterminer) P (hrases), and their involvement in morphosyntactic relations. Where can they occur? When can they move, ...

Theory and description in African Linguistics

2019

The papers in this volume were presented at the 47th Annual Conference on African Linguistics at UC Berkeley in 2016. The papers offer new descriptions of African languages and propose novel theoretical analyses of them. The contributions span topics in phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics and reflect the typological and genetic diversity of languages in Africa. Four papers in the volume examine Areal Features and Linguistic Reconstruction in Africa, and were presented at a special workshop on this topic held alongside the general session of ACAL.