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Bantu languages, lexical comparison, morphosyntactic comparison, automated cognate judgement, sub-grouping
Abstract:
This article discusses lexical and grammatical comparison and sub-grouping in a set of
closely related Bantu language varieties in the Morogoro region, Tanzania. The Greater Ruvu
Bantu language varieties include Kagulu [G12], Zigua [G31], Kwere [G32], Zalamo [G33],
Nguu [G34], Luguru [G35], Kami [G36] and Kutu [G37]. The comparison is based on 27
morphophonological and morphosyntactic parameters, supplemented by a lexicon of 500
items. In order to determine the relationships and boundaries between the varieties,
grammatical phenomena constitute a valuable complement to counting the number of
identical words or cognates. We have used automated cognate judgment methods, as well as
manual cognate judgments based on older sources, in order to compare lexical data. Finally,
we have included speaker attitudes (i.e. self-assessment of linguistic similarity) in an attempt
to map whether the languages that are perceived by speakers as being linguistically similar
really are closely related.
