Department of African Languages

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Cartography of Short yiqtol in Biblical Hebrew
(Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 2016) Andrason, Alexander
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper provides a dynamic (i.e. cognitive, typological and grammaticalization driven) analysis of short yiqtol in Biblical Hebrew. The author argues that short yiqtol can be understood as a coherent construction if it is modeled as a wave – a synchronic two-dimensional map whose components are related cognitively (as visualized by the x axis) and specified for their degree of prototypicality (as visualized by the y axis). The evidence demonstrates that short yiqtol should be classified as a gram that travels a modal-contamination path. Its contamination originated in a deontic context of speaker modality (both affirmative and negative), subsequently extended to subordinate uses (goal) and future values (first in apodoses and next in other syntactic environments). In Biblical Hebrew, the zone of prototypicality includes deontic senses. The value of goal constitutes the secondary peak of prototypicality. The sense of futurity is non-prototypical.
Cognate objects of weather verbs in African languages of South Africa – from synchronic variation to a grammaticalization path
(Stellenbosch University, Department of Linguistics, 2017) Andrason, Alexander; Visser, Marianna
The authors argue that the synchronic variation of cognate objects of weather verbs exhibited in six African languages of South Africa (Sepedi, Sesotho, Tshivenda, isiXhosa, Xitsonga, and isiZulu) has a diachronic explanation, and may be represented as a grammaticalization path. This path gradually leads from prototypical cognate objects that disallow object agreement (pronominalization) and promotion to subjects in passive constructions to prototypical objects where both agreement (pronominalization) and promotion are grammatical. This provides further support for the modelling of cognate objects, adjuncts and arguments in terms of a continuum and for a gradient view of syntactic categories, in general.
The collective voice in The Madonna of Excelsior : narrating transformative possibilities
(AOSIS Publishing, 2006-06-30) Zulu, N. S.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The collective voice in the novel, “The Madonna of Excelsior” (2002), reveals that crossing of borders is a process characterised by cultural contact that reduces cultural polarisation and makes social transformation possible. This article examines the transformative potential of the novel. The first part of the novel indicates that the transformation of polarised South African society is inevitable, desirable and possible in order to normalise life. This transformation does, however, involve transgression and contestation of the old order. To present the possibility of transformation, the collective voice in the novel makes the Immorality Act the object of its satire, revealing the failure of apartheid nationalism and its master narrative. The alternative offered in the second part of the novel is a transforming macrocosm – a South African society that grapples with crossing apartheid’s borders.
Comparative syntax : the expletive in the African Languages of South Africa (Bantu Languages)
(2010-07-30) Du Plessis, J. A. (Jacobus A.); University of Stellenbosch. Dept. of African Languages.
Comparative syntax : the structure of the verb phrase in the African languages of South Africa (Bantu Languages)
(2010-06-09) Du Plessis, J. A. (Jacobus A.)
Comparative syntax : the copulative in the African Languages of South Africa
(2010-08-25) Du Plessis, J. A. (Jacobus A.)
The copulative construction in the African languages of South Africa will be considered within the following framework: firstly, an overview will be given of the various copulas or copulative verbs or the absence of overt copulative verbs in these languages. Secondly, the complements of these copulative verbs will be given as well as an overview of the moods and tenses within which each such copulative may appear. Lastly, attention will focus on the semantics and syntax of these copulative clauses.
Comparative syntax of the African languages of South Africa ( Bantu languages) : the relative clause in the African languages of South Africa (Bantu languages)
(2010-11-15) Du Plessis, J. A. (Jacobus A.)
The aim of this article is to focus on a comparative study of the relative clause in the four major language groups of South Africa which will be represented here by four individual languages, i.e. isiXhosa, Xitsonga, Tshivenda and Sesotho. Within the relative clause, answers will be provided for the following issues which are basic to the relative clauses in these languages: The structure of a relative clause, the relative determiner and marker and the reasons for the optionality of some of them, the tenses of the relative verb and the types of resumption within the TP, the restrictive, appositive and free relatives and lastly, the problems engenderd by coordinated and stacked relative clauses.
Comparative syntax of the SA Bantu languages: Transitive and intransitive verbs in the SA Bantu languages
(2013-09) Du Plessis, Jacobus A.
Attention has been focused on the syntactic structure in which these verbs may appear, various features specific to these verbs as well as some verb classes in which these verbs regularly appear. The syntactic structure in which the intransitive verbs appear is the one developed within the Minimalist program with two verbal shells where the upper verbal shell is projected from a pjhonetically null light verb. The second verbal shell is assumed to be introduced by the [VP]. Intransitive verbs are distinguished as unergative and unaccusative verbs. They may appear with cognate objects, manner DPs and idiomatic objects. Various verb classes with intransitive verbs have been dealt with e.g. state verbs and verbs relating to the body. Transitive verbs with one internal argument appear in the same type of structure as the intransitive verbs. Various features of transitive verbs have been high-lighted as for instance word order, focus on the object, objectival agreement, stylistic movement, coordinated objects and other issues, as well as specific verb classes in which transitive verbs appear. Lastly, ditransitive verbs appear in structures with the same categories as with other verbs, but each time with two internal arguments. Some features of these verbs are given as well as verb classes in which ditransitive verbs frequently appear.
Comparative syntax of the South African Bantu Languages : complex predicates
(2013-09) Du Plessis, Jacobus A.
There are four complex predicates in the SA Bantu languages, i.e. predicates with copulative verbs, deficient verbs, the verbs thi/re and probability verbs. The last three complex predicates have been dealt with here. For the copulative verbs see i.a. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4468. The probability verbs are related to the English verb seem. It is a deficient verb in these languages which may appear with various complements, in some languages with up to ten different structures and in some cases they are also related to issues of comparison. The verbs thi/re (“say”) have been addressed with attention to its distribution, its complements, its agreement and specifically its use in expressions of time or duration. The third verb in a complex predicate is a deficient verb of which there are quite a number in these languages. They have to appear with a CP as complement. They refer to a variety of semantic interpretations such as duration in time (26 different times have been established) as well as other features such as the continuative, iterative, contrastive, completive, manner, obligation and habitual. Ten such semantic interpretations are thus possible with these deficient verbs.
Comparative syntax of the South African Bantu Languages : derived verbs and transitivity in the Bantu languages
(2013-09) Du Plessis, Jacobus A.
There are thirteen derivational affixes in these languages of which only the reflexive is a prefix of a verb. Many of these affixes have no syntactic influence on the structure of clauses but they are only semantic changing affixes. Only those affixes which have some influence on the syntactic structure of sentences have been given some attention. The syntactic structures in which these derived verbs appear are related to the structures which are developing within the Minimalist program. Within these structures a new syntactic category has been added for each verbal affix. Thus, for instance with the applicative affix [-el-] a syntactic category “app” has been added as head of a category “applicative phrase” (APP). With each verbal affix such a category appears with various other syntactic categories as complement, or such complements may appear in other positions within the structure as for instance in the passive construction. All these constructions have also been semantically interpreted. Secial attention is also focused on causative alternation or causation where a category “cause” has been postulated as a possible solution to this alternation. The locative alternation as well as the locative category and verb classes with locatives has been examined with regard to transitivity. It has been found that Topicalization from Information structure is deemed to be necessary. Lastly, the verbal affixes may appear in combination with each other and two such combinations for these affixes have been examined. In each case the two affixes retain their specific categories, structures, complements and semantic interpretation.
Considering a lexicographic plan for Gabon within the Gabonese language landscape
(Bureau of the WAT, 2005) Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, Hugues Steve
This article raises a number of questions that should be dealt with in drawing up a lexicographic plan for Gabon. For which of the Gabonese languages should lexicographic units be established? This question entrains the issue of inventorying the Gabonese languages and their standardization as well as the issue of language planning for Gabon. What is the status of those foreign languages widely spoken in Gabon? What about French? Should Gabon keep importing its French dictionaries from France, or should the Gabonese compile their own French dictionaries, including French words and expressions exclusively used in Gabon? Finally, after trying to answer these questions, a number of suggestions are made for the establishment of a lexicographic plan for Gabon.
The coordinators i and z in Polish : a cognitive-typological approach (PART 1)
(De Gruyter Open, 2017) Andrason, Alexander
Developed within the frame of cognitive and typological linguistics, the present study examines the taxonomical status of the lexemes i and z in Polish. To achieve this aim, the author analyzes the compliance of the two forms with the prototype of coordinate-hood and the structure of their maps of polyfunctionality. The evidence demonstrates that i is a canonical instantiation of the category of coordinate-hood while z is less canonical. Additionally, the two lexemes yield different maps of polyfunctionality (with distinct prototypicality nuclei), which reflects their distinct diachronic and conceptual origin. The map of i radiates from the value of ‘also’ while the map of z radiates from a comitative sense.
The coordinators i and z in Polish : a cognitive-typological approach (Part 2)
(De Gruyter Open, 2017) Andrason, Alexander
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Developed within the frame of cognitive and typological linguistics, the present study examines the taxonomical status of the lexemes i and z in Polish. To achieve this aim, the author analyzes the compliance of the two forms with the prototype of coordinate-hood and the structure of their maps of polyfunctionality. The evidence demonstrates that i is a canonical instantiation of the category of coordinate-hood while z is less canonical. Additionally, the two lexemes yield different maps of polyfunctionality (with distinct prototypicality nuclei), which reflects their distinct diachronic and conceptual origin. The map of i radiates from the value of ‘also’ while the map of z radiates from a comitative sense. This article – the last in a series of two – completes the presentation of the empirical evidence and interprets it within the adopted framework. The degrees of canonicity of i and z are determined and the semantic-functional maps of the two lexemes are compared.
The curse of poverty and marginalisation in language development : the case of Khoisan languages of Botswana
(Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University, 2019) Chebanne, Andy; Dlali, Mawande
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Khoisan languages are spoken by tiny and remote-dwelling communities of Botswana, the members of which are characterised by socio-economic hardships and illiteracy in their own languages and in general. Historically and socially, these people emerged from a life of hunting and gathering, and, in that lifestyle mode, they were easily subdued and exploited by other language communities for cheap and serf labour. Colonialism found them in this social state, and post-colonialism has left them in the same state. As poor and marginalised subalterns, they have not had any means to advocate for their language and culture, and are currently assimilated into other peoples’ languages and cultures. Consequently, the remaining languages of these communities, spoken in remote areas by poor people, are threatened with extinction because they remain under-developed, under-documented, and are at best still at the stage of documentation by anthropologists and linguists. As illiterate people, the speakers of these Khoisan languages have no survival strategies for their languages in this ever-evolving, modern world. With their poverty and sociolinguistic marginalisation, they are devoid of any means of promoting their languages. This discussion focuses on the pitiful situation of the Khoisan languages of Botswana. Botswana’s language-use policy will be critically examined and characterised as one factor in the marginalisation and disempowerment of minority groups, both of which lead to the languages’ endangerment and death.
Dative applicative elements in Arusa (Maa) : a canonical approach to the argument-adjunct distinction
(Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University, 2019) Andrason, Alexander; Karani, Michael
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present paper analyzes the degree of the argumenthood or adjuncthood of elements licensed by the dative applicative (DA) construction in Arusa within a canonical approach to the argument-adjunct distinction. After testing DA elements for the various criteria and diagnostics associated with the typologically-driven prototype of arguments and adjuncts, the authors conclude the following: in most cases, DA elements behave as canonical arguments and are therefore located close to the argumenthood pole of the argument-adjunct continuum.
The deficient verb [ba] in isiXhosa
(2014) Du Plessis, Jacobus A.
The aim of this article is to establish how factivity clauses such as [ba-lamb-ile] (they are hungry) may appear in clauses which express certainty or consecutive in isiXhosa. For this purpose the influence of the deficient verb [ba] will be examined.
Derived verbs in Xitsonga
(2016-10-20) Du Plessis, Jacobus A.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are ten derivational affixes in Xitsonga of which only the reflexive is a prefix of a verb. Many of these affixes have no syntactic influence on the structure of clauses but they are only semantic changing affixes. Only those affixes which have some influence on the syntactic structure of sentences have been given some attention. The syntactic structures in which these derived verbs appear are related to the structures which are developing within the Minimalist program. Within these structures a new syntactic category has been added for each verbal affix. Thus, for instance with the applicative affix [-el-] a syntactic category “app” has been added as head of a category “applicative phrase” (APP). With each verbal affix such a category appears with various other syntactic categories as complement, or such complements may appear in other positions within the structure as for instance in the passive construction. All these constructions have also been semantically interpreted. Special attention is also focused on causative alternation or causation where a category “cause” has been postulated as a possible solution to this alternation. Lastly, the verbal affixes may appear in combination with each other and two such combinations for these affixes have been examined. In each case the two affixes retain their specific categories, structures, complements and semantic interpretation.
Distribution and control properties of the Infinitive in Xitsonga
(No publisher, 2009) Du Plessis, Jac A.
The Infinitive has received some attention in the recent past, beginning with the Government and Binding Theory with control theory and an Infinitive subject designation as PRO (see i.a. Chomsky 1981, 1982 and Haegaman 1991). Various applications of the Government and Binding theory have been attempted for the South African Bantu languages and also specifically for the Infinitive (see i.a. Motaung 1991, Sadiki 1992, Du Plessis and Visser 1992, Tunzelana 1993, Du Plessis, Nxumalo, Visser 1995, and Visser 1998).
The EK construction in Xhosa : a cognitive account
(2017-11-29) Andrason, Alexander; Dlali, Mawande
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Developed within the frame of cognitive linguistics, this paper argues that the entire syntactic and semantic profile of the EK gram can be unified and viewed as coherent by modeling it as a map of different but related features. This understanding gives access both to the extreme variability of the EK form and to its internal cohesion, without equating this construction with one taxonomical category or postulating a set of invariant properties. The synchronic evidence demonstrates that the traits such as intransitivity, non-agentivity, resultativity/ stativity, and modality are prototypical. Other traits, e.g. (semi-)transitivity, (semi-)agentivity, spontaneity, and impetus are less prototypical or nonprototypical. The former class is psychologically associated with the EK gram, while the latter class does not enter into speakers’ representation of this form. The true cohesion of the EK gram is, however, recoverable only diachronically. The historical center of the map of the EK form corresponds to an in-/detransitive, agentless, resultative gram. This input construction has developed all the other properties visualized as components of the map (e.g. functions that are more transitive and more agentive, as well as stative and modal senses) by following a set of crosslinguistically common evolutionary tendencies or grammaticalization paths.
The exotic nature of ideophones – from Khoekhoe to Xhosa
(University of Stellenbosch, Department of General Linguistics, 2017) Andrason, Alexander
The present paper analyzes the exoticness of Khoekhoe-sourced ideophones as a possible factor that stimulated the introduction of certain phonological novelties to the sound system of Xhosa. Having analyzed Khoekhoe-sourced ideophones of Xhosa for five exotic features postulated crosslinguistically (aberrant sounds and configurations of sounds, length, tones and harmony), the author concludes the following: due to their intense phonological exoticness and the crosslinguistic propensity for unaltered borrowing, Khoekhoe-sourced ideophones may have played a relevant role in the Khoekhoe-Xhosa transfer. The efficiency of this transfer seems to be correlated with the frequency of a given exotic feature in the donor Khoekhoe lexemes.

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