A comparative analysis of phonological and morpho-syntactic variations in Lungu, Mambwe and Namwanga languages in Zambia
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Date
2022
Authors
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
The study compares the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Lungu, Mambwe, and
Namwanga (LuMaNa) languages which are less documented, and very little is known about their
grammar. The purpose is to account for their linguistic structure to outline their grammar and
design their orthographies. The study is informed by descriptive and comparative Bantu
phonological and morpho-syntactic theories. Data were collected using comparative, elicitation,
and document analysis methods to account for grammatical variations in the three languages.
The study shows that LuMaNa languages have more phonological similarities than variations in
terms of vowel quality. Regarding consonants, LuMaNa languages have twenty (20) consonantal
segments which display minimal variations in terms of form. The nominal structure of the three
languages also shows more similarities than differences.
Description
Philosophiae Doctor - PhD
Keywords
Comparative Bantu, Orthography, Linguistics, Zambia, Language