Description
Book SynopsisThis is the first comprehensive description of Tutrugbu(Nyangbo-nyb), a Ghana Togo Mountain(gtm) language of the Kwa family. It is based on a documentary corpus of different genre of linguistic and cultural practices gathered during periods of immersion fieldwork. Tutrugbu speakers are almost all bilingual in Ewe, another Kwa language. The book presents innovative analyses of phenomena like Advanced Tongue Root and labial vowel harmony, noun classes, topological relational verbs, the two classes of adpositions, obligatory complement verbs, multi-verbs in a single clause, and information structure. This grammar is unparalleled in including a characterization of culturally defined activity types and their associated speech formulae and routine strategies. It should appeal to linguists interested in African languages, language documentation and typology.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Figures and Tables 1 Introduction 1.0 The People 1.1 Classification 1.2 History 1.3 The Multilingual Nyangbo Community 1.4 The Roadmap for This Grammar 2 Phonology 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Segmental Inventory 2.2 Syllable Structure 2.3 Phonological Processes 2.4 Tone 2.5 Conclusion 3 Morphology 3.0 Introduction 3.1 Reduplication 3.2 Inflection 3.3 Noun Classes 3.4 Derivation 3.5 Compounding 4 The Noun Phrase 4.0 Introduction 4.1 The Simple Noun Phrase 4.2 Complex Noun Phrase 5 The Verb Phrase 5.0 Introduction 5.1 Lexical Aspect 5.2 Tense Aspect Mood 5.3 Argument Structure 6 Adpositional Phrases and Locative Constructions 6.0 Introduction 6.1 The Basic Locative Construction (BLC) 6.2 The Verbs 6.3 Postpositions 6.4 Prepositions 7 Constructions 7.0 Introduction 7.1 Copula Construction 7.2 Descriptive Constructions 7.3 Serial Verb Constructions (SVC) 7.4 Coordinate Clausal Constructions 7.5 Subordinate Clauses 8 Sentence Types 8.0 Introduction 8.1 Declaratives 8.2 Interrogatives 8.3 Imperatives 9 Information Structure 9.0 Introduction 9.1 Topic 9.2 Focus 9.3 Contrastive Topic 9.4 Cleft Construction 9.5 Conclusion 10 Routine Activities 10.0 Introduction 10.1 Greetings 10.2 Spinning Yarn 10.3 Female Initiation Rite 10.4 Funeral Rites References
