Managing Data for Descriptive Morphosemantics of Six Language Varieties
Malin Petzell, Caspar Jordan
Abstract
the semantic construal of (universal) tense, aspect, and mood (TAM) notions and their grammatical encoding on the verb in the East Ruvu Bantu language varieties (Kagulu, Kami, Kwere, Kutu, Luguru, and Zaramo). These varieties show a significant degree of diversity in terms of their TAM systems, despite an otherwise close relationship (Petzell & Hammarstrm 2013). In the project, we examine the TAM systems of these languages by studying the verb forms, their basic meanings, extended functions and distribution, and how the TAM markers interact with the lexical semantics (aspectual classification) of the verb stem. To do this we needed to gather language data involving different verbs in a number of different frames as well as single sentences. Data collection was carried out by the principle investigator, Malin Petzell, in the Morogoro region in central Tanzania. Because of the complexity of the language data, some project funds were used to hire a dedicated data manager, Caspar Jordan, to work on structuring the data and making them accessible. The Bantu language varieties in the East Ruvu group are under-described in general, and there is little information about their grammatical structure and TAM systems. There are three comparative analyses (Petzell 2012; Petzell & Hammarstrm 2013; Bar-el & Petzell, forthcoming), and there are published grammatical descriptions in three of the language varieties in which TAM and the verb are described, namely in Luguru (the dated Seidel 1898; the somewhat newer Mkude 1974), Kagulu (Petzell 2008), and Kami (Petzell & Aunio 2019). For the other language varieties, only outdated or short linguistic documentations can be found, such as an account of Kami written more than a hundred years ago (Velten 1900). Additionally, a comparison of TAM in Kami, Kagulu, and Luguru is being produced (Petzell & Edelsten, in prep.).