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- Language Family: Grassfields
- Topic #1: Noun Classes
The Ngamambo noun class system: concord and prefixhood
Asongwed and Hyman (1976), in their “Morphotonology of the Ngamambo noun” attempt a classification of the Ngamambo noun. They claim the language exhibits eleven noun classes, with seven singular-plural gender pairs and one single class gender. Another consideration of facts of the language, however, suggests that its noun class system is more sophisticated than previously thought. The present paper outlines a number of weaknesses in that classification, and shows that in Ngamambo, (1) some nouns appear to take overt prefixes, whereas in actual fact, they do not; and (2) with the exception of locative classes and the infinitive noun class marker, there are actually thirteen noun classes, with eight overt prefixes and five covert ones, and twelve singular-plural gender pairs and eight single class genders.
Asongwed et Hyman (1976), dans leur «Morphotonology of the Ngamambo noun» proposent une classification nominale du Ngamambo. Ils affirment que la langue présente onze classes nominales, dont sept paires de classes singulier-pluriel et une classe impaire. Une autre considération des faits de la langue suggère cependant que son système de classe nominale est plus sophistiqué qu'on ne le pensait. Le présent document décrit un certain nombre de faiblesses dans cette classification et montre qu’en Ngamambo:
· certains noms semblent prendre des préfixes visibles, alors qu'en réalité, il n’en est pas le cas ;
· à l'exception des classes locatives et du marqueur de l'infinitif de classe nominale, il y a effectivement treize classes nominales composées de huit préfixes visibles et cinq non-visibles dont douze paires de classes singulier-pluriel et huit classes impaires.
Asongwed and Hyman (1976), in their “Morphotonology of the Ngamambo noun” attempt a classification of the Ngamambo noun.[1] They claim the language exhibits eleven noun classes, with seven singular-plural gender pairs and one single class gender. Another consideration of facts of the language, however, suggests that its noun class system is more sophisticated than previously thought. The present paper outlines a number of weaknesses in that classification, and shows that in Ngamambo, (1) some nouns appear to take overt prefixes, whereas in actual fact, they do not; and (2) with the exception of locative classes and the infinitive noun class marker, there are actually thirteen noun classes, with eight overt prefixes and five covert ones, and twelve singular-plural gender pairs and eight single class genders.
Asongwed et Hyman (1976), dans leur «Morphotonology of the Ngamambo noun» proposent une classification nominale du Ngamambo. Ils affirment que la langue présente onze classes nominales, dont sept paires de classes singulier-pluriel et une classe impaire. Une autre considération des faits de la langue suggère cependant que son système de classe nominale est plus sophistiqué qu'on ne le pensait. Le présent document décrit un certain nombre de faiblesses dans cette classification et montre qu’en Ngamambo:
· certains noms semblent prendre des préfixes visibles, alors qu'en réalité, il n’en est pas le cas ;
· à l'exception des classes locatives et du marqueur de l'infinitif de classe nominale, il y a effectivement treize classes nominales composées de huit préfixes visibles et cinq non-visibles dont douze paires de classes singulier-pluriel et huit classes impaires.
[1] Ngamambo of which I am a native speaker is a Western Grassfields Bantu language of the Momo group spoken in the Santa sub-region of North-West Cameroon (cf. Hyman and Voorhoeve 1980, and Watters 2003). Other dialects of the language spoken within the Momo area include Moghamo, Metta, Menemo, and Ngiembu.