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Towards a comparative description of the Adamawa languages of Mumuye-Yendang and Leko groups

Lyakhovich, Anastasia ( S t .-Petersburg State University) & Zheltov, Alexander (S t .-Petersburg State University / Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography ). Towards a comparative description of the Adamawa languages of Mumuye-Yendang and Leko groups

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Towards a comparative description of the Adamawa languages of Mumuye-Yendang and Leko groups

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  1. Lyakhovich, Anastasia (St.-Petersburg State University) & Zheltov, Alexander(St.-Petersburg State University/ Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography) Towards a comparative description of the Adamawa languages of Mumuye-Yendang and Leko groups Towards Proto-Niger-Congo: Comparison and Reconstruction 2nd International Congress Paris, September 1-3, 2016

  2. Plan of presentation • General information • Plural and nominal classification? • Pronouns • Numerals • Copulas • Kinship terms

  3. Russian linguistic expedition to Nigeria January – February 2012-2014 Languages and researchers: Wakka (A. Lyakhovich – 2012-2014), Yendang (T. Anikina - 2012), Kugama (L. Litvinova - 2014), Maya (Bali) – 2012-2013, Nyong – 2012-2014 (A. Zheltov) Funding: Russian Fund for Linguistic Research (2012), St.Petersburg State University grant for expeditions (2012) St.Petersburg State University grant for fundamental research (2013, 2014); informational support, logistics, accomodation – American University of Nigeria

  4. Languges of Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Nigeria_Benin_Cameroon_languages.png)

  5. 278 – Bali, 282 – Wakka, 284 – Nyong, 291 – Yendang, Yola – place of main residence (map from Ethnologue 2011)

  6. Classification by R. Boyd [Boyd 1989].

  7. Variants of classification • Classification by C.Hoffman/R. Blench [Blench 2011].

  8. Classification by Ethnologue (2011).

  9. Classification of Leko-Nimbari group by G.Segerer (http://sumale.vjf.cnrs.fr/NC/Public/pdf/classification%20Niger-Congo%20A3_nouveau.pdf)

  10. Lexicostatistics Genetic distance Maya (Bali)/ Kpasham (78% from 200 words) Yendang/ Wakka 75% (from 100 words) Yendang/ Wakka - Teme 60-63% Yendang/ Wakka/ Teme - Maya (Bali)/ Kpasham –Gengle 48-52% Yendang/ Wakka/ Teme/ Maya (Bali)/ Kpasham/ Gengle – Kumba 39-43% Yendang/ Wakka/ Teme/ Maya (Bali)/ Kpasham/ Gengle/ Kumba – Nyong 21-26%

  11. Plural and nominal classification?

  12. Human/non-human pronouns

  13. Plural and Noun classification • B+V - SG non-human for Yendang, Waka, Kugama, Maya • (p)a – PL human for Maya and Nyong • I – PL for Yendang, Waka and Kugama • Zi – PL Diminutive for Yendang, Waka, Kugama, Maya

  14. Plural and Noun classification The most interesting case with Nyong plural –pa: nà – nà-pá‘cow - cows’, ya – ya-pá‘dog - dogs’, maŋsa - maŋsə́ripá‘friend - friends’, ko - kopá ‘’chicken - chickens’, vùa - vùpá‘goat - goats’, bùsá – bùsá-(ri)pá‘frog – frogs’ +suppletive nìɗiŋa - nɛpá‘person - persons’, but not ‘pig, cat, duck’ Why frog is more “domestic” than cat?

  15. Nyong: verbal plural agreement –ri: • 1) Yò bé nà-kò • 3sgseecow-Ref • ‘He sees a cow.’ • 2) Và bé-ri nà-kò • 3plsee-plcow-Ref • ‘They see a cow.’ • 3) Bùsá bé nà-kò • Frog see cow-Ref • ‘Frog sees a cow.’ • 4) Bùsǝ’-rípábé-ri nà-kò • Frog-plsee-pl cow-Ref • ‘Frogs see a cow’

  16. 1 sg

  17. 2 sg

  18. 3 sg human

  19. 3 sg non-human

  20. 1 pl

  21. 2 pl

  22. 3 pl human

  23. 3 pl non-human

  24. Problems of using pronouns for reconstruction • Various series (no languages with the same set of series) • Morphonological fusion with stems • Analogical changes • Diferent morphosyntactic status

  25. Reconstruction (very tentatively)

  26. Numerals in Adamawa • common roots for the languages (mostly numerals 1-5, 10), 2) a diversity of not only roots but also strategies (e.g. 8 = X + 3, X + 4, 5+3 etc) for 6-9, 20-40, 100, 1000, 3) analogical changes that influence greatly the numerical systems (3-4 - most common, 2-3-4, 2-3-4-5).

  27. 1-5

  28. 10

  29. Various strategies for 6-9 Numerals 6-9 can also show some meaningful innovations assisting in the distributing the languages into groups, but they also show some interesting typological variety in the strategies forming numerals (6+) in closely related langauges.

  30. 6-9

  31. 7

  32. 8

  33. 9

  34. Analogical tuning This is a process of morpheme changing under the influence of paradigmatic neighbors often attested in pronominal paradigms and numerals. See Russian: 5 /p’at’/ – 6 /shest’/ - 7 /sem’/ - 8 /vosem’/ - 9 /dev’at’/ - 10 /des’at’/ Analogical changes are also of great importance in numerical systems of the Adamawa languages, e.g. analogical (submorphemic) tuning of 3 and 4 in various languages:

  35. Conclusions • 1. The most basic numerals (1-5) show genetic unity of these Adamawa languges(and possibly some other Niger-Congo) and some support in internal grouping. • 2. 2-5, 10 numerals relate to other Niger-Congo languages. • 3. Different strategies for 6-9 are helpful in internal grouping and show a great variety. • 4. Analogical changes/ submorphemic tuning are of great importance for these groups of Adamawa. • 5. They can both be helpful in internal grouping and explaining changes and innovations in numerals.

  36. Copulas

  37. Copulas • Copulas confirm grouping: Yendang/Waka/Kugama (a +ye) • Maya lost all the copulas. • ge common for Waka and Nyong???

  38. Sibling terms in Maya and Nyong – Niger-Congo specifics (relative/ absolute terms)

  39. There are no terms for ‘sisters’ and ‘brothers’ only ‘sibling of the same gender with speaker’ (with age difference) and ‘sibling of the opposite gender with speaker’ (without age difference)

  40. Some preliminary conclusions from morphological analysis • Yendang, Waka and Kugama are for sure grouping together (singular, plural, pronouns, numerals, copulas). • Maya shows some correspondence with both this group (singular, pronouns) and Nyong (plural). • Nyong has some corresponding to Yendang-Waka-Kugama (plural). • Further analysis of other relative languages should be done.

  41. On the Benue river (still a long way to go…)

  42. Literature Bennett P. R. Adamawa-Eastern: Problems and Prospects. // Current approaches to African linguistics. Vol. 1. Dordrecht: Foris Publications. 1983. P. 23-48. Boyd R. Adamawa-Ubangi. // The Niger-Congo languages: A classification and description of Africa’s largest language family. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. 1989. P. 178-215. Boyd R. Étude comparative dans le groupe Adamawa. Paris: SELAF. 1974. Boyd, Raymond. Number Systems in the Adamawa Branch of Niger-Congo// African Languages and Cultures, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1989), pp. 149-173. Gwenaelle Fabre. Le samba leko, langue Adamawa du Cameroun. Lincom Europa, pp.464, 2004. The Maya [Yendang] languages wordlists collected by Barau Kato and Zachariah Yoder analysis by Roger Blench. http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/AU/Yandang%20group/Comparatie%20Yandang.pdf (date of application - date of application 10.04.2015 PanLex word lists. http://panlex.org/ (date of application 08.05.2012) Pozdiakov Konstantin From Atlantic to Niger-Congo: three, two, one ... http://pozdniakov.free.fr/Pozdniakov_NC_numbers.pdf (date of application 18.03.2016) Samarin W. J. Adamawa-Eastern. // Current trends in linguistics 7: linguistics in sub-Saharan Africa. The Hague & Paris: Mouton & Co. 1971. P. 213-244.

  43. Thank you!

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