The Gorwaa noun : toward a description of the Gorwaa language
Gorwaa is a South Cushitic language of Tanzania whose nouns are particularly complex. Based on detailed documentation of the language (most of which is openly accessible for consultation in an online archive (Harvey 2017)), this dissertation provides a first description of Gorwaa grammar, with a particular focus on the noun. Additionally, a grammatical analysis of Gorwaa nouns is developed using the Distributed Morphology architecture and Minimalist syntax. This offers a different perspective from the typically functional analyses available for South Cushitic languages thus far. Following a general sketch of Gorwaa grammar, as well as a brief introduction into the theoretical framework, each subsequent chapter of the dissertation focuses on one subpart of the noun and its morphosyntactic characteristics. Composed of several identifiable subparts (e.g. the stem, the suffix, and the linker), each of which in turn presents a rich array of variants, the Gorwaa noun is an ideal entry point for inquiry into Gorwaa as a system, as adequate explanation of nouns in this language touches on all the major modalities of grammar (phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics). Syntactically, the stem is formed of
Harvey, Andrew David
The Gorwaa noun : toward a description of the Gorwaa language. Gorwaa is a South Cushitic language of Tanzania whose nouns are particularly complex. Based on detailed documentation of the language (most of which is openly accessible for consultation in an online archive (Harvey 2017)), this dissertation provides a first description of Gorwaa grammar, with a particular focus on the noun. Additionally, a grammatical analysis of Gorwaa nouns is developed using the Distributed Morphology architecture and Minimalist syntax. This offers a different perspective from the typically functional analyses available for South Cushitic languages thus far. Following a general sketch of Gorwaa grammar, as well as a brief introduction into the theoretical framework, each subsequent chapter of the dissertation focuses on one subpart of the noun and its morphosyntactic characteristics. Composed of several identifiable subparts (e.g. the stem, the suffix, and the linker), each of which in turn presents a rich array of variants, the Gorwaa noun is an ideal entry point for inquiry into Gorwaa as a system, as adequate explanation of nouns in this language touches on all the major modalities of grammar (phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics). Syntactically, the stem is formed of
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