Aarhus Universitet – IKK & IKS

Guest Lecture

The Research Unit on Language Acquisition and Didactics invites you to a guest lecture by

Prof. Alexander Yao Cobinah, from University of São Paulo, Brazil, on

Tail head linkage: an areal discourse structure in Casamance languages

This talk highlights a phenomenon at the intersection of pragmatics, discourse analysis, and syntax known as tail-head linkage (THL) in Baïnounk Gubëeher and other West African languages spoken in Upper Guinea (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde). THL is a discourse feature commonly found in narratives and procedural texts, where phrases or parts of phrases are repeated in consecutive clauses to create discourse cohesion. These structures are well attested in Atlantic languages spoken in the Casamance region, as well as in various Portuguese-based Creoles of the area.

(1) BAÏNOUNK GUBËEHER

Anaŋg’ añoocom / gañoocëndéét gantijini andëëk andëëk awaniném a raŋkoot

‘(…) And they wash him / when they have finished washing him, they lay him on a woven mat.’

(2) CASAMANCE CREOLE

E kuji ki pwar tudu e puy na ki baley /puy k'e puy na ki baley (...)

‘They collect all the pears and put [them] in the basket/ Having put (lit.: put that they put) [them] in the basket…’

As these languages are not genetically related, THL is a strong candidate for an areal feature. Drawing on a corpus of transcribed texts in Baïnounk Gubëeher, Joola Kujireray, and Joola Banjal, as well as experimental data from these languages and four varieties of Upper Guinea Creoles (Santo Antão, São Vicente, Casamance, and Bissau), this talk describes and compares the discursive function, frequency, and syntactic strategies employed in these structures.

When? February 6, 14.30-16.00

Where? 1467- 116

The lecture will be held in English and everyone is welcome!

Organizers: Ana Paulla Braga Mattos & Susana S. Fernández