Corso di laurea in Lingue e culture
dell'Asia e dell'Africa

 

 

 

 

KISWAHILI MORPHOSYNTAX AND DIALECTOLOGY

 

This is a course in two parts: (1) Kiswahili morphosyntax, focusing on verbal extensions, and (2) Kiswahili dialectology, focusing on the Zanzibar dialects. Each part will be allotted 18 teaching hours, i.e. 36 hours in total.

 

The following is a list of topics.

 

PART I: KISWAHILI MORPHOSYNTAX

 

1. The scope of Kiswahili morphosyntax
2. The structure of the Kiswahili verbal construction
3. The verbal extensions: overview on the Proto-Bantu verb extensions and their reflexes
4. Kiswahili verb extensions and their meanings:

• Applicative -il-/-i-
• Passive -w-
• Causative -i-/-sh-, etc.
• Stative -ik-
• Associative/Reciprocal -an-
• Reversive/Conversive (active) -u-
• Reversive/Conversive (stative) -uk-
• Persistive -ili-
• Denominative/Inceptive -p-
• Reiterative/Intensive -u-
• Static -am-
• Contactive -at-

1.  Verb extensions and their valence
2.  Verb extensions and their co-occurrence

 

 

PART II: KISWAHILI DIALECTOLOGY

 

1. Kiswahili dialects: Overview
2. The Zanzibar dialects and their speakers – Unguja, Makunduchi, Tumbatu, and Pemba
3. Comparison of the dialects

• Phonetics and Phonology
• Morphology
• Syntax
• Lexicon

1.  Some Swahili Texts (Prose and Poetry)

 

REFERENCES

These will include, inter alia:

1. Grammars (e.g. Ashton 1947 (focusing on the Standard dialect) ; Institute of Kiswahili Studies [=IKS] books), etc.
2. Handbooks (e.g. Steere 1919 (focusing on the Unguja dialect); Polomé 1967), etc.
3. Dictionaries (Madan 1903 (Unguja dialect); Johnson 1939 (Standard dialect); IKS dictionaries (Standard dialect); Zanzibar Kiswahili Council dictionaries (focusing on Tumbatu, Makunduchi and Pemba dialects); etc.
4. Dialect Studies (e.g. Sacleux 1909 Grammaire des Dialectes Swahilis; Stigand 1915 A Grammar of Dialect Changes in the Kiswahili Language; etc.)
5. Journal articles,book chapters, texts from oral and contemporary written literature, etc.