Diminutive and Augmentative Functions of Some Luganda Noun Class Markers Samuel Namugala MA Thesis in Linguistics Norwegian Un
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Diminutive and Augmentative Functions of some Luganda Noun Class Markers Samuel Namugala MA Thesis in Linguistics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Faculty of Humanities Department of Language and Literature Trondheim, April, 2014 To my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wampamba, and my siblings, Polycarp, Lydia, Christine, Violet, and Joyce ii Acknowledgements I wish to express my gratitude to The Norwegian Government for offering me a grant to pursue the master’s program at NTNU. Without this support, I would perhaps not have achieved my dream of pursuing the master’s degree in Norway. Special words of thanks go to my supervisors, Professor Kaja Borthen and Professor Assibi Amidu for guiding me in writing this thesis. Your scholarly guidance, constructive comments and critical revision of the drafts has made it possible for me to complete this thesis. I appreciate the support and the knowledge that you have shared with me. I look forward to learn more from you. My appreciation also goes to my lecturers and the entire staff at the Department of Language and Literature. I am grateful to Professor Lars Hellan, Assoc. Professor Dorothee Beermann, Professor Wim Van Dommelen, and Assoc. Professor Jardar Abrahamsen for the knowledge you have shared with me since I joined NTNU. You have made me the linguist that I desired to be. I also wish to thank the authors that didn’t mind to help me when contacted for possible relevant literature for my thesis. My appreciation goes to Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo (University of Ghana), Assistant Prof. George J. Xydopoulos (Linguistics School of Philology, University of Patras, Greece), Prof. Klaus Laalo (University of Tampere, Finland) and Prof. Alexandra Yurievna Aikhenvald (The Cairns Institute James Cook University, Australia). The literature you suggested has contributed to the quality of my thesis. Thank you for your generous contributions. My fieldwork informants really did an incredible job. Without your effort during my data collection, I would definitely not have written this thesis. I am very grateful, especially to: Mr. and Mrs. Wampamba, Geoffery Ssempiri, Sarah Nakacwa, Prossy Namulwana, Lydia Nakabiri, Samuel Tusabe, Prossy Nakyanja, Peter Wandera, Athony Kalinaki and Joy Kabibi. I will always remember you for your marvellous job, which has made my thesis a reality. Lastly, I would like to express my warmest gratitude to my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wampamba, my brother, Polycarp Ssekweyama, and my sisters, Lydia Nakabiri, Christine Nabadda, Violet Zalwango and Joyce Nassuuna. Your encouraging words always made me more optimistic. I am delighted to say that I dedicate this thesis to you all. Any misinterpretations and/or errors made in this thesis are of my own. iii Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................ vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Topic and Research Questions ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 The Luganda Language ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Method ................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Important Linguistic Notions ............................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Value of the Study ............................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Outline of the Thesis ........................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 BANTU LANGUAGES AND LUGANDA: THEIR NOUN CLASS SYSTEMS .................................................. 6 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Origin of the Bantu Languages ............................................................................................................ 6 2.3 Bantu Noun Class System .................................................................................................................... 6 2.4 A brief Description of the Luganda Language ................................................................................... 10 2.5 The Luganda Noun Class System ....................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................................... 17 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.1 Diminutives ................................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.1.1 General Literature on Diminutives ...................................................................................... 17 3.1.1.2 Luganda Diminutives ........................................................................................................... 20 3.1.2 Augmentatives ............................................................................................................................ 21 3.1.2.1 General Literature on Augmentatives ................................................................................. 21 3.1.2.2 Luganda Augmentatives ...................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................................................ 24 4.0 DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................................................. 24 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 24 iv 4.2 Interviewing and Recording .............................................................................................................. 24 4.3 Questionnaires .................................................................................................................................. 27 4.4 Plays ................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.5 Annotating the Data .......................................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................................................. 31 5.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION ............................................................................................... 31 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 31 5.2 Diminutives ........................................................................................................................................ 31 5.2.1 The Diminutive lu-(11) ................................................................................................................ 31 5.2.2 The Diminutive ka-/bu-(12/14) .................................................................................................. 36 5.2.1 The Diminutive tu-(13) ............................................................................................................... 45 5.3 Augmentatives ................................................................................................................................... 48 5.3.1 The Augmentative li-(5) .............................................................................................................. 48 5.3.2 The Augmentative ki-/bi-(7/8) .................................................................................................... 54 5.3.3 The Augmentative gu-/ga-(20/22) ............................................................................................. 59 5.4 The ranking for li-(5), ki-/bi-(7/8), lu-(11), ka-/bu-(12/14), tu-(13), and gu-/ga-(20/22) in contexts where they are used with a derogatory intention .................................................................................