Academic Paper |
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| Title: | Review of M. Mous (2003) The Making of a Mixed Language: The case of Ma’a/Mbugu |
| Author: | Steve Nicolle |
| Email: | click here to access email |
| Institution: | Africa International University |
| Linguistic Field: | Language Documentation |
| Subject Language: |
Maa
Mbugu |
| Abstract: |
Ma’á/Mbugu is a Bantu language spoken in the Usambara area of North-East Tanzania. Two registers of the language are distinguished: Ma’á, or Inner Mbugu, and Normal Mbugu. Mous (2001a: 114) describes the two registers as “one language sharing one grammar,” which differ lexically.
'The Making of a Mixed Language' is an excellent account of an endangered language, but it is more than that. Because of the nature of its parallel lexicon, Ma’á/Mbugu provides a fascinating insight into one of the possible outcomes of language contact. Mous confidently draws on a wide range of Bantu and Cushitic data in his reconstruction of the linguistic history of Ma’á/Mbugu, and yet his discussion does not feel cluttered. The story that he tells is more nuanced than in his previous publications on Ma’á/Mbugu, and is well worth hearing. |
| Type: | Individual Paper |
| Status: | Completed |
| Publication Info: | Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 27: 99-105. |
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