Leiden University Scholarly Publications

Petrollino, S. (2016)

A grammar of Hamar : a South Omotic language of Ethiopia

Doctoral Thesis

This study is the first-ever attempt at a comprehensive grammatical description of Hamar, a language spoken in South West Ethiopia by approximately 46.500 people. The study is based on 9 months of fieldwork carried out between 2012 and 2014 in Hamar territories. Language data was gathered from 14 native speakers in Hamar villages, and it amounts to 50 texts of varying lengths and genres. The grammar investigates the phonology, the morphology, the syntax and some pragmatic and discourse related features of Hamar and it is organized in 13 chapters followed by three appendices: appendix A and B consist of a selected lexicon of circa 1400 entries, appendix C includes three annotated Hamar texts.
Hamar is a fascinating language and it has revealed unique typological features: the noun classification system of Hamar for instance is a rare example of ʻnon-fixedʼ...Show more

This study is the first-ever attempt at a comprehensive grammatical description of Hamar, a language spoken in South West Ethiopia by approximately 46.500 people. The study is based on 9 months of fieldwork carried out between 2012 and 2014 in Hamar territories. Language data was gathered from 14 native speakers in Hamar villages, and it amounts to 50 texts of varying lengths and genres. The grammar investigates the phonology, the morphology, the syntax and some pragmatic and discourse related features of Hamar and it is organized in 13 chapters followed by three appendices: appendix A and B consist of a selected lexicon of circa 1400 entries, appendix C includes three annotated Hamar texts.
Hamar is a fascinating language and it has revealed unique typological features: the noun classification system of Hamar for instance is a rare example of ʻnon-fixedʼ gender system, i.e. a system in which gender is not an inherent property of nouns, but optional. The grammar is of interests to typologists but also to linguists interested in comparative Afro-Asiatic studies: the grammar offers an overview of the classificatory issue of Hamar and South Omotic languages, and it includes an updated comparative list of South Omotic lexicon.

 

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African linguistics

Language description

Afro-Asiatic

Nilo-Saharan

Omotic languages

Cushitic languages

All authors

Petrollino, S.

Supervisor

Mous, M.P.G.M.; Philippson, G.

Committee

Creissels, D.; Klamer, M.; Tosco, M.; Vanhove, M.

Qualification

Doctor (dr.)

Awarding Institution

Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL), Humanities, Leiden University

Date

2016-11-10

Title of host publication

Cushitic and Omotic Studies

Publisher

Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag

ISBN (print)

9783896454911

Publication Series

Name

6

Funding

Sponsorship

Labex ASLAN, Université de Lyon (Agence Nationale de la Recherce)