LINGUIST List 12.2904

Tue Nov 20 2001

Books: Grammars

Editor for this issue: Richard John Harvey <richardlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Julia Ulrich, Grammars: A Grammar of Hdi (Zygmunt Frajzyngier with Erin Shay)

New Publication from Mouton de Gruyter!!!!

>From the series:
Mouton Grammar Library
Series Editors: Georg Bossong, Bernard Comrie

Zygmunt Frajzyngier with Erin Shay
A GRAMMAR OF HDI

2002. 24 x 16 cm. xxiii, 550 pages.
Cloth. DM 296,-- / OES 2161,-- (RRP) / sFr 255,-- / approx. US$ 148.00
from 01.01.2002: Euro 148.00

ISBN 3-11-017071-X

(Mouton Grammar Library 21)


Hdi is a hitherto undescribed language spoken in northern
Cameroon. The language belongs to the Central Branch of Chadic. The
aim of the book is to provide a fairly complete description of the
grammar of this language. Consequently, the grammar describes the
phonology, morphology and syntax of Hdi and the semantic and discourse
functions coded in this language. Most clauses in Hdi are
verb-initial, with the subject directly following the verb. The object
often is marked by a preposition. What makes Hdi unusual is that the
object-marking preposition is unique and does not function elsewhere
as a locative preposition. Another interesting feature of Hdi is that
there are two types of clauses, pragmatically independent and
pragmatically dependent, and that the difference between these is
coded by different tense and aspectual systems. In addition, there are
two clausal orders for complex sentences: The order embedded
clause-matrix clause codes one type of modality, while the order
matrix clause-embedded clause codes another. The language also has a
rich system of verbal extensions coding the semantic roles of
arguments and adjuncts and the direction of movement.

The grammar is of interest not only to linguists working in African,
Chadic and Afroasiatic linguistics, but also to general linguists,
since it describes phenomena rarely seen in other languages of the
world. The grammar is described in terms accessible to linguists
working within various theoretical frameworks.

FROM THE CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Phonology
3. The structure of the noun phrase
4. Deixis and anaphora
5. Verbal root and stem
6. Argument coding
7. Coding the semantic roles of arguments
8. Extensions coding the manner of an event
9. Adjuncts
10. Locative extensions
11. Modalities
12. Aspect
13. Coding the domain of referentiality of event
14. Tense
15. Verbless clauses
16. Interrogative Clauses
17. Negation
18. Topicalization
19. Focus and relative clauses
20. Paratactic, conjoined, sequential, and counterexpectation clauses
21. Clausal complements of verbs of saying
22. Interrogative complements
23. Complements of verbs of perception
24. Complements of volitional verbs
25. Adverbial and adjunct clauses
26. Comparative constructions
27. Texts


For more information please contact the publisher:
Mouton de Gruyter
Genthiner Str. 13
10785 Berlin, Germany
Fax: +49 30 26005 222
e-mail: ordersdegruyter.de

Please visit our website for other publications by Mouton de Gruyter
http://www.degruyter.com