Linguistic Innovation and Conceptual Change in West Africa

The linguistic situation of the western Sahel region is characterized by ongoing social, historical, ecological and economical transformations. In this project the various aspects of linguistic dynamics, which were caused by these transformations, will be examined. The participants of the project believe that linguistic structures are not only characterized by genetic affiliation, but also to a large extent through language contact. While this is at first sight evident in the lexicon (e.g. borrowings), its traces are more difficult to detect in morphology or syntax. We will concentrate our research primarily on Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. In these countries are the spheres of influence of important languages of wider communication (Hasusa, Bambara, Fulfulde, Kanuri). The following criteria were significant for the choice of the linguistic and resp. geographical areas: - linguistic contacts are notable to a high degree, - the history of these areas is adequately documented, - the participating researchers are well qualified and acquired extensive research experience in these areas. Several aspects of research are in the focus of our research: a) phonologyonology and b) morphology and syntax. In a) we will examine the adaptation to or assimilation of tone and sound structures, and in b) the adoption and conceptualization of structural features. Apart from collection data on linguistic structures, we will investigate the connection between language dominance and language transformation. In connection with linguistic contact phenomena we will particularly explore the following aspects: strategies of adoption of differing tonal systems; phonetic/phonological sound adaptation; alterations of T(ense)A(aspect)M(ood) systems through language contact; syntactic subordination on different structural levels; taking-over of focus and topic features; sentence/clause structures which are influenced by contact. Finally, we will develop a synthesis of our research results in order to arrive at general statements about linguistic change through language contact. Historical and typological linguistic processes will be given special attention. Our primary consideration will be the investigation of alteration tendencies: the transformation from a mother-tongue to a language of wider communication ("lingua franca") and structural changes of local languages under the influence of languages of wider communication. We intend to cooperate closely with institutions which also specialize in aspects of language typology (Univ. of Nice, Prague, Bayreuth).

The research project Linguistic Innovation and Conceptual Change in West Africa (SIKWA) examined aspects of contact-induced language change in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and in northeastern Nigeria. In the ferst region, we examined the relations between Mandenkan (Bambara, Dioula, Malinke, etc.) and its contact languages. In the other region we studied contact related phenomena between Hausa, Fulfulde and Kanure. Initially, we identified those linguistic features which are prone to change in situations of language contact in the respective regions. In a second step, we carried out an in-depth research an these phenomena. The collection of sociological data helped to verify the linguistic analyses. In some Northern Samo regions in Burkina Faso, we observed a noticeable influence of the Pana language an the local Samo variety, though the language is no longer spoken in this area. However, the influence can be retraced by the existence of numerous Pana family names. We arrived at the conclusion that in these regions, a formen Pana population was assimilated by Samo migrants, and Pana left its traces in the local Samo variety. In northeastern Nigeria, we observed tendencies of the development of new sentence structures across language families. We can conclude from data from the 19th century that at that time the construction` of subordinate clauses was not common in Kanuri. Today, however, subordinate clauses are frequently used in Kanuri and various other languages of the region. Complex sentence structures developed in a number of languages. The conjunctions of subordinate clauses were either borrowed fron other languages or were grammaticalized from other language internal morpheme categoris. Borrowed elements and concepts are from different source languages. Their status and dominance changed over time. This change is often due to political and economical transformations.