Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorDeumert, Anaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSmouse, Mantoaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorDimmendaal, Gerriten_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSchroeder, Helgaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBarasa, Daviden_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-14T12:17:55Z
dc.date.available2017-09-14T12:17:55Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study discusses the structure of Ateso, an Eastern Nilotic language. Based on interview and recorded data from fieldwork conducted in both Uganda and Kenya, where Ateso is spoken, the study provides the first comprehensive description of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language. The main findings of this study are as follows: The key feature of Ateso's phonological structure is that vowel alternation strategies are constrained by three harmony rules: root-control, feature-control, and, finally, mid-vowel assimilation. While Ateso shares this structure with the other Eastern Nilotic languages, it has its unique features as well. For example, while the other members of the Eastern Nilotic family have lost the vowel */ä/, Ateso has retained it phonetically. Ateso's noun morphology has noun-inflectional affixes associated with gender- and number marking. The language employs noun prefixes for gender and uses suffixes to express number and to derive words from others. With regard to its verbal morphology, Ateso verb forms are inflected for a variety of functions. Inflectional categories such as person, number, tense, aspect and mood are marked on the verb either segmentally or supra-segmentally. Tense is expressed suprasegmentally by tone on the nucleus of verb roots, while different morphemes mark person, number, aspect and mood. The discussion of Ateso verb morphology covers verbal derivations and extensions; namely, causatives, ventives, itives, datives, iterative, passives and instrumentals. Regarding its syntactic structure, as a VS/VO language, Ateso allows for a complete clause made up of an inflected verb only, or an inflected verb followed by one or two NPs/or an NP and a pronoun. The language can also have sentence structures involving strategies such as coordination, subordination and clause chaining.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBarasa, D. (2017). <i>Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Linguistics. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25182en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBarasa, David. <i>"Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Linguistics, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25182en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBarasa, D. 2017. Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Barasa, David AB - This study discusses the structure of Ateso, an Eastern Nilotic language. Based on interview and recorded data from fieldwork conducted in both Uganda and Kenya, where Ateso is spoken, the study provides the first comprehensive description of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language. The main findings of this study are as follows: The key feature of Ateso's phonological structure is that vowel alternation strategies are constrained by three harmony rules: root-control, feature-control, and, finally, mid-vowel assimilation. While Ateso shares this structure with the other Eastern Nilotic languages, it has its unique features as well. For example, while the other members of the Eastern Nilotic family have lost the vowel */ä/, Ateso has retained it phonetically. Ateso's noun morphology has noun-inflectional affixes associated with gender- and number marking. The language employs noun prefixes for gender and uses suffixes to express number and to derive words from others. With regard to its verbal morphology, Ateso verb forms are inflected for a variety of functions. Inflectional categories such as person, number, tense, aspect and mood are marked on the verb either segmentally or supra-segmentally. Tense is expressed suprasegmentally by tone on the nucleus of verb roots, while different morphemes mark person, number, aspect and mood. The discussion of Ateso verb morphology covers verbal derivations and extensions; namely, causatives, ventives, itives, datives, iterative, passives and instrumentals. Regarding its syntactic structure, as a VS/VO language, Ateso allows for a complete clause made up of an inflected verb only, or an inflected verb followed by one or two NPs/or an NP and a pronoun. The language can also have sentence structures involving strategies such as coordination, subordination and clause chaining. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2017 T1 - Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language TI - Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25182 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/25182
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBarasa D. Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Linguistics, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25182en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentLinguisticsen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherLinguisticsen_ZA
dc.titleAteso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Languageen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_2017_barasa_david (1).pdf
Size:
6.82 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral