‘This volume is an invaluable guide to the issues surrounding the structure and interpretation of nominal phrases in Bantu languages, but also provides an excellent source and testing ground for theories of nominal structure beyond Bantu. The empirical range of these studies in Bantu linguistics is broad, though most of the chapters address in detail the structure of nominals in a single Bantu language. Excellent chapters investigate tone, case, the structures that determine word order in nominals, relativization, definiteness and indefiniteness, anaphoricity and referentiality, all using clear criteria for classification and analysis. It is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of both Bantu syntax and semantics and nominal structure more generally.’

Ken Safir, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at Rutgers University, USA.

'This collection of papers on the structure of the Bantu noun phrase will be of interest to all Bantuists, and to syntacticians more generally who are interested in the exploration of contemporary syntactic accounts of the NP or DP that have developed in the context of minimalism and of government and binding theory. It will also be of interest to linguists interested in the range of ways found in Bantu languages to establish and retain reference in discourse, and to phonologists interested in learning more about the complex processes that govern the realization in noun phrase tone patterns in the Bantu languages.'

John Goldsmith, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago, USA.

List of figures

List of tables

List of contributors

Preface

1 Introduction: Conceptualizing the Bantu noun phrase

BLASIUS ACHIRI-TABOH

Phrase structure

2 On the size and category of Bantu nominal expressions

VICKI CARSTENS

3 Adjectives in the Ngamambo noun phrase: Issues of pre- and post-modification

BLASIUS ACHIRI-TABOH

4 Nominal morphology and syntax of Rwa-Meru

AMANI LUSEKELO, SAMSON SARAKIKYA, AND BLASIUS ACHIRI-TABOH

5 The noun phrase in Nugunu: Nominal structure and internal organization

THÉOPHILE AMBADIANG OMENGELE

Tone in the internal structure of the NP

6 Tonology of the Luganda noun phrase

LARRY M. HYMAN AND FRANCIS X. KATAMBA

7 Morphology and tonology of the vocative in Basaa

EMMANUEL-MOSELLY MAKASSO

8 The augment in Shingazidja

CÉDRIC PATIN

Anaphoric relations

9 Content words and contextual meaning: Lexical NPs as discourse anaphora in Makhuwa and Cuwabo

LUTZ MARTEN, HANNAH GIBSON, ROZENN GUÉROIS, AND TERESA POETA

10 Aspects of referent tracking in Northern Sotho

MAMPAKA LYDIA MOJAPELO

Index

Blasius Achiri-Taboh is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Buea, Cameroon.