The Nature of Conditional Sentences in Nyakyusa
Corresponding Author(s) : Amani Lusekelo
Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS),
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2016)
Abstract
The mechanisms utilized to introduce conditional construction in Nyakyusa are partly
similar to the patterns available in some Bantu languages because its protasis is
introduced by the word l??nga. The counterfactual marker angali introduces the
apodosis of the counterfactual sentences, similar to Zulu and Swahili. The main
difference is that Nyakyusa differentiates reality and unreality situations primarily
through TAM formatives. For instance, realistic situations manifest in future and present
tenses while unrealistic events are primarily indicated by remoteness in past tense.
Keywords
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Abe, M. 2016. Counterfactual conditional sentences in Mbugu. A presentation at the 6th
- International Conference on Bantu languages, Helsinki (Finland), 20–23 June 2016.
- Alotaibi, Y. 2014. Conditional sentences in modern Standard Arabic and the Taif dialect. Doctoral
- thesis, University of Essex.
- Botne, R. 2006. A grammatical sketch of the Lusaamia verb. Cologne: Ruediger Koeppe Verlag.
- Caron, B. 2006. Condition, topic and focus in African languages: Why conditionals are not topics.
- ZAS Papers in linguistics 46: 69–82.
- Crass, J. & R. Meyer. 2008. Ethiopia. In B. Heine & D. Nurse (eds.). A linguistic geography of Africa, 228–250. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Dancygier, B. & E. Mioduszwska. 1984. Semanto-pragmatic classification of conditionals. Anglica
- posnaniensia 17. 121–134.
- Doke, C. M. 1935. Bantu linguistic terminology. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
- Dudman, V. H. 1984. Conditional interpretations of if-sentences. Australian journal of linguistics 4.
- –204.
- Felberg, K. 2007. Nyakyusa stories. http://www.nyakyusa.com/nyastory.htm. (Downloaded: May
- .
- Goyvaerts, D. 2007. Bukavu Swahili: Tense, aspect and blurry history. Journal of Asian and African
- studies 74. 5–33.
- Halpert, C. 2012. Zulu counterfactuals in and out of conditionals. In B. Connell & N. Rolle (eds.),
- Selected proceedings of the 41st annual conference on African linguistics, 117–127. Somerville, MA:
- Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
- Halpert, C. & H. Karawani (2012. Aspect in counterfactuals from A(rabic) to Z(ulu). In J. Choi, E. A.
- Hogue, J. Punske, D. Tat, J. Schertz & A. Trueman (eds.). Proceedings of the 29th West Coast
- conference on formal linguistics, 99–107. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
- Jimaima, H. 2014. The syntax, semantics and pragmatics of conditional clauses in Tonga and
- English: A comparative analysis. MA Dissertation, the University of Zambia.
- Lusekelo, A. 2013. Tense, aspect, modality and negation in Kinyakyusa: A Bantu language of Tanzania
- and Malawi. Saarbrucken: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
- Maho, J. F. 2009. The online version of the new updated Guthrie list, a referential classification of the
- Bantu languages. Available at http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdf. (Downloaded:
- August 2010).
- Msiska, K. B. 1988. A comparative study of Chitumbuka, Chinyanja, Chinkhonde and Chitonga. MA
- Dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.
- Mwakifuna IV, N. A. T. 1986. Teti Teti texts. Dar es Salaam: Pomboma General Traders.
- Nurse, D. 2008. Tense and Aspect in Bantu. London: Oxford University Press.
- Nurse, D. & G. Philippson (eds.) 2003. The Bantu languages. London: Routledge.
- Parker, E. 1991. Conditionals in Mundani. In S. Anderson & B. Comrie (eds.), Tense and aspect in
- eight languages of Cameroon, 165–187. Arlington: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
- Saloné, S. 1979. Typology of conditionals and conditionals in Haya. Studies in African linguistics
- (1): 65–80. —. 1983a. Conditional sentences in Swahili. Doctoral thesis, University of California, Los Angeles. —. 1983b. The pragmatics of reality and unreality conditional sentences in Swahili. Journal of
- Pragmatics 7: 311–324.
- Seidel, F. 2008. The hodiernal past domain and the concept of recentness in Yeyi. Africana
- linguistica 14: 151–176.
- Swilla, I. N. 1998. Tenses in Chindali. Afrikanistische arbeitspapiere, 54: 95–125.
- von Fintel, K. 2011. Conditionals. In von Heusinger, K., C. Maienborn & P. Portner (eds). Semantics:
- An international handbook of meaning, 2: 1515–1538. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter
References
Abe, M. 2016. Counterfactual conditional sentences in Mbugu. A presentation at the 6th
International Conference on Bantu languages, Helsinki (Finland), 20–23 June 2016.
Alotaibi, Y. 2014. Conditional sentences in modern Standard Arabic and the Taif dialect. Doctoral
thesis, University of Essex.
Botne, R. 2006. A grammatical sketch of the Lusaamia verb. Cologne: Ruediger Koeppe Verlag.
Caron, B. 2006. Condition, topic and focus in African languages: Why conditionals are not topics.
ZAS Papers in linguistics 46: 69–82.
Crass, J. & R. Meyer. 2008. Ethiopia. In B. Heine & D. Nurse (eds.). A linguistic geography of Africa, 228–250. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dancygier, B. & E. Mioduszwska. 1984. Semanto-pragmatic classification of conditionals. Anglica
posnaniensia 17. 121–134.
Doke, C. M. 1935. Bantu linguistic terminology. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
Dudman, V. H. 1984. Conditional interpretations of if-sentences. Australian journal of linguistics 4.
–204.
Felberg, K. 2007. Nyakyusa stories. http://www.nyakyusa.com/nyastory.htm. (Downloaded: May
.
Goyvaerts, D. 2007. Bukavu Swahili: Tense, aspect and blurry history. Journal of Asian and African
studies 74. 5–33.
Halpert, C. 2012. Zulu counterfactuals in and out of conditionals. In B. Connell & N. Rolle (eds.),
Selected proceedings of the 41st annual conference on African linguistics, 117–127. Somerville, MA:
Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
Halpert, C. & H. Karawani (2012. Aspect in counterfactuals from A(rabic) to Z(ulu). In J. Choi, E. A.
Hogue, J. Punske, D. Tat, J. Schertz & A. Trueman (eds.). Proceedings of the 29th West Coast
conference on formal linguistics, 99–107. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
Jimaima, H. 2014. The syntax, semantics and pragmatics of conditional clauses in Tonga and
English: A comparative analysis. MA Dissertation, the University of Zambia.
Lusekelo, A. 2013. Tense, aspect, modality and negation in Kinyakyusa: A Bantu language of Tanzania
and Malawi. Saarbrucken: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
Maho, J. F. 2009. The online version of the new updated Guthrie list, a referential classification of the
Bantu languages. Available at http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdf. (Downloaded:
August 2010).
Msiska, K. B. 1988. A comparative study of Chitumbuka, Chinyanja, Chinkhonde and Chitonga. MA
Dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.
Mwakifuna IV, N. A. T. 1986. Teti Teti texts. Dar es Salaam: Pomboma General Traders.
Nurse, D. 2008. Tense and Aspect in Bantu. London: Oxford University Press.
Nurse, D. & G. Philippson (eds.) 2003. The Bantu languages. London: Routledge.
Parker, E. 1991. Conditionals in Mundani. In S. Anderson & B. Comrie (eds.), Tense and aspect in
eight languages of Cameroon, 165–187. Arlington: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Saloné, S. 1979. Typology of conditionals and conditionals in Haya. Studies in African linguistics
(1): 65–80. —. 1983a. Conditional sentences in Swahili. Doctoral thesis, University of California, Los Angeles. —. 1983b. The pragmatics of reality and unreality conditional sentences in Swahili. Journal of
Pragmatics 7: 311–324.
Seidel, F. 2008. The hodiernal past domain and the concept of recentness in Yeyi. Africana
linguistica 14: 151–176.
Swilla, I. N. 1998. Tenses in Chindali. Afrikanistische arbeitspapiere, 54: 95–125.
von Fintel, K. 2011. Conditionals. In von Heusinger, K., C. Maienborn & P. Portner (eds). Semantics:
An international handbook of meaning, 2: 1515–1538. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter