Reference Grammar of Yukuben (Jukunoid, Nigeria)

Author: Rose-Juliet Anyanwu. Series edited by: Herrmann Jungraithmayr, Norbert Cyffer, Rainer Voßen.

Series: WeStu Westafrikanische Studien Volume 36

Reference Grammar of Yukuben describes and documents the grammar of Yukuben, which belongs to a group of about 20 languages of north-east Nigeria with approx. 350.000 speakers. The work consists of the following major parts: an overview (including, for instance, information on the geo- and socio-cultural background), phonetics and phonology, tonology, morphology, as well as syntax. All these incorporate information and data from the two major dialects − Bā-lāābɘn and Bá-líssà – as the case may be. The work is primarily meant for linguists, especially those working with/on African language data.

It is intended to shed further light on the knowledge of southern Jukunoid, Nigeria. The Yukuben language has – in comparison to other hitherto documented Jukunoid languages – a rich structure, and is, therefore, particularly important, especially for comparative and re­construction exercises on (southern) Jukunoid. Part of this richness includes a functioning noun class system, though with partly lost (and mutated) noun classes and agreement elements.

The methodology adopted comprises empirical findings and analyses based, on the one hand, on free texts and, on the other hand, on structured texts in form of a questionnaire. It was moreover based on a gender-friendly approach, whereby information was elicited from both female and male speakers of various ages.

Under these links you will find publications by the author and descriptions of further Jukunoid and other Nigerian languages:

Accompanying material:

• A Grammar of Kuteb (ISBN 978-3-89645-422-5)
• Copy Pronouns (ISBN 978-3-89645-424-9)
• Das Hone und seine Stellung im Zentral-Jukunoid (ISBN 978-3-89645-107-1)
• Logophoricity, Pronouns, and Pronominals in African Languages (ISBN 978-3-89645-367-9)
• Magic and Gender (ISBN 978-3-89645-108-8)
• Stress and Tone – The African Experience (ISBN 978-3-89645-017-3)
• Tense, Aspect, and Mood in Benue-Congo Languages (ISBN 978-3-89645-470-6)
• Transitivity in African Languages (ISBN 978-3-89645-726-4)
• Verbal Serialisation in Bezen (Southern Jukunoid) (ISBN 978-3-89645-764-6)

Cross-reference:

• A Dictionary of Emai (ISBN 978-3-89645-468-3)
• A Dictionary of Margi (Nigeria) – Margi–English with English–Margi Index (ISBN 978-3-89645-477-5)
• A Grammar of Duya (ISBN 978-3-89645-476-8)
• A Reference Grammar of Degema (ISBN 978-3-89645-047-0)
• A Reference Grammar of Oko (ISBN 978-3-89645-553-6)
• A Sketch of Kanuri (ISBN 978-3-89645-032-6)
• Advances in Minority Language Research in Nigeria vol. I (ISBN 978-3-89645-426-3)
• Aspekte adverbialer Subordination im Hausa, Fulfulde und Kanuri (ISBN 978-3-89645-469-0)
• Bole Language and Documentation Unit, BOLDU Report I & II (ISBN 978-3-89645-475-1)
• Eine Grammatik der Kwami-Sprache (Nordostnigeria) (ISBN 978-3-927620-49-0)
• Reference Grammar of Kanuri (Nigeria) (ISBN 978-3-89645-670-0)
• Tone Systems in African Languages (ISBN 978-3-89645-019-7)

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