Tense and Aspect in BantuDerek Nurse looks at variations in the form and function of tense and aspect in Bantu, a branch of Niger-Congo, the world's largest language phylum. Bantu languages are spoken in central, eastern, and southern sub-Saharan Africa south of a line between Nigeria and Somalia. By current estimates there are between 250 and 600 of them, as yet neither adequately classified nor fully described. Professor Nurse's account is based on data from more than 200 Bantu languages and varieties, a representative sample of which is freely available on the publisher's website. He devotes substantial chapters to the analysis and comparison of the different tense and aspect systems found in Bantu. He also examines the verbal categories with which they interact, including negation and focus. Synchronic and diachronic perspectives are interwoven throughout the book. Following a brief history of Bantu over the last five thousand years, the final two chapters look systematically at the history of tense and aspect in Bantu. The first deals with the reconstruction of the earlier forms from which contemporary structures, morphemes, and categories are derived, and the second with the processes of change, including grammaticalization, by means of which older analytical structures and independent lexical items moved as they became incorporated as grammatical inflections and categories. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Verb structure and categories in Bantu | 28 |
3 Tense | 80 |
4 Aspect | 128 |
5 Other categories | 179 |
6 What can be assumed for ProtoBantu? | 226 |
7 Processes of change | 284 |
Definitions | 308 |
Bibliography | 319 |
371 | |
381 | |
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Common terms and phrases
affirmative analysis anterior appears aspect assumed auxiliary Bantu languages bought cent clause clear combination common complete compound constructions continuous contrast derive discussion distinction distribution dynamic verbs encoded examined example expressed extension fact final vowel five focus forms four function further future geographical give grammaticalization Grassfields habitual imperfective independent indicative inflectional innovation involved later least less lexical limited linguistic marked marker matrix languages meaning mentioned morphemes morphological narrative negative Niger-Congo null object occurs once original past pattern perfective persistive position possible post-verbal pre-stem present probably progressive pronouns Proto-Bantu reasons recent reference relative represents result root seen semantic shape similar single situation sources stem structure subjunctive suffix suggests Swahili tense term tonal tone translations Type typically usually verb verbal versus vowel widely Zone