Lexico-Phonological Comparative Analysis of Selected Dialects of the Meru-Tharaka Group

ISBN-13: 9783631603765 / Angielski / Twarda / 2014 / 350 str.

Kanana Fridah Erastus

Opis

This study is an investigation into the comparative phonology and lexicon of six barely-known Bantu varieties spoken in Kenya. These varieties (Imenti, Igoji, Tharaka, Mwimbi, Muthambi and Chuka) belong to the so-called Meru group. The study develops a new classification of these six dialects. Therefore, a dialectological approach is used, which includes the analysis of wordlists and lists of short phrases elicited in the field. From the data, isoglosses and similarities concerning morpho-phonological processes are drawn. The results show in which respects the dialects differ from each other. Thus, the present work contributes to comparative Bantu linguistics.

Spis treści

Contents: Dialectology - Phonological Description of the Dialects - Morpho-phonological Comparison - Lexicon - Typology of Dialect Transitions.

O autorze

Kanana Fridah Erastus is a lecturer in the Department of English and Linguistics at Kenyatta University (Kenya). She holds degrees in Arts and General Linguistics from Kenyatta University and did linguistic research at the University of Frankfurt am Main (Germany).