Introduction to African Languages

Table of contents

Acknowledgements and dedication ix

Preface xi

Abbreviations xv

List of Maps xvii

List of Figures xix

List of Tables xxi

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Reasons for studying African languages5

1.2 Historical background to the study of African languages14

2. The classification of African languages 19

2.1 The four phyla21

2.2 Approaches to classifying African languages31

2.3 “Megalocomparison” or mass comparison?38

2.4 And then there were three: Merging Nilo-Saharan

and Niger-Congo42

2.5 Some local problems in language classification44

3. Phonetics and phonology 55

3.1 Clicks56

3.2 Nasal processes61

3.3 Other “exotica”65

3.4 Syllable structure66

3.5 Vowel harmony68

3.6 Consonant alternation73

3.7 Tone76

vi Table of contents

4. Morphology 97

4.1 Non-concatenative morphology (Afroasiatic and elsewhere)97

4.2 Noun class systems: The many genders of Africa99

4.3 Verbal morphology103

4.4 Verb extensions and argument structure110

5. Syntax and semantics 117

5.1 Language at expressive play: Ideophones118

5.2 Predicate structure124

5.3 Negation128

5.4 Movement: Verb focus/predicate clefting132

5.5 Serial verbs137

5.6 Agreement phenomena: Animacy rules and things fall apart141

5.7 Consecutive tense and switch reference in Supyire145

5.8 Syntax and discourse: Logophoricity147

6. Historical and typological issues 153

6.1 Electronic resources153

6.2 Language typology and historical linguistics154

6.3 Diachronic typology/grammaticalization155

6.4 Language and history164

6.5 Linguistics, archaeology, and DNA analysis: The “new synthesis”170

7. Social effects on the languages of Africa 175

7.1 Languages of respect, and other special varieties176

7.2 Language contact phenomena188

7.3 Pidgins and creoles203

Appendices 217

References 223

Index 261