GRAMMATICAL CONTRACTION IN NYANG’I A DESCRIPTIVE AND COMPARATIVE STUDY by SAMUEL JAMES BEER B.A., University of Oklahoma, 2009 M.A., University of Colorado, 2013 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Linguistics 2017 This thesis entitled: Grammatical Contraction in Nyang’i: A Descriptive and Comparative Study written by Samuel J. Beer has been approved for the Department of Linguistics _____________________________________ Professor Zygmunt Frajzyngier (Committee Chair) _____________________________________ Assistant Professor Rebecca Scarborough Date: ___________ The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. IRB Protocol number: 12-0164 Beer, Samuel J. (Ph.D., Linguistics) Contraction in Nyang’i: A Descriptive and Comparative Study Thesis directed by Zygmunt Frajzyngier This dissertation presents the first systematic description of the grammar of a variety of Nyang’i, a previously undescribed moribund Kuliak language once spoken in Karamoja Region, Uganda. Because Nyang’i is only remembered by a single semi-speaker, it has undergone considerable contraction; the description captures a moment in the death of a language and is an empirical study of the dissolution of a grammatical system. The description is based on a corpus of procedural and narrative texts recorded, transcribed, and translated over the course of seven months of fieldwork in Karamoja, Uganda. Topics covered include basic phonological patterns, the formal and functional criteria used to distinguish major lexical categories, the morphological structure of nouns and verbs, a selection of the grammatical functions encoded by the grammar, and the formal means used to encode them. Features of particular interest include a large system of noun number-marking suffixes, a poly-functional focus-marking clitic, and a diverse selection of petrified affixes. Basic constituent order is VAO/VS. The description provides a benchmark study of the contracted grammar of a language in the final stage of gradual death. Comparison with related languages (Ik and Soo) reveals that a number of grammatical features, such as ATR harmony, case marking, a contrast between lexically singular and lexically plural noun roots, most derivational morphology, subject marking on the verb, and much of the free and possessive pronoun paradigms have been lost. Comparison with neighboring unrelated languages (Karimojong/Turkana and Acholi/Lango) reveals that these losses are not likely to have occurred as a result of external pressure, and are therefore best explained as structural consequences of language death proper. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Countless people contributed, whether directly or indirectly, to this project. I have been honored to receive such overwhelming support, encouragement, insight, and friendship, and I fear that my attempts to recognize all who deserve recognition will be imperfect. Undoubtedly, mistakes remain in the text; these mistakes are, of course, solely my responsibility. The most direct contributions to this project came from Komol Isaach, the last rememberer of the Nyang’i language. Any acknowledgements for this project must begin and end with him. I would like to thank the project’s funders, including the Department of Linguistics at CU Boulder and the Bev Sears Graduate Student Grant for providing me with startup funds to begin research in Nyang’i and the National Science Foundation for providing funding through DDRIG1324475. I have warm memories of studying the Soo language with †Lokiru Kosma. These sessions are where my interest in Kuliak languages originated. On-site support ranging from food to lodging to motorcycle repair was provided by Father Raphael Lobeerei and the Karenga Mission. His love for each human that he encounters is reflected in his inexhaustible, relentless, and selfless service. Jille Treffers and Elk Arne Clausen provided friendship, bonfires, and refreshment. Evenings spent hiking in the Nyangea Mountains with Jille in particular were instrumental in clearing my mind and remaining energized for my research. Bob and Martha Wright (as well as the rest of the OPC mission at Nakaale) provided me with a place to retreat and with emotional support when I grew weary of life in the field. Stephen Buerger accompanied me to Karenga and helped me hunt for Komol. He is the only person I have ever shared a twin mattress under a mosquito net with for a sweltering week in Moroto. iv My advisor, Zygmunt Frajzyngier, has given me apt, clear-eyed, and helpful guidance throughout the project, while also allowing me room to explore my own ideas. Of the many others who have contributed to my development as a linguist, special thanks are due to Rebecca Scarborough, who offered invaluable advice on numerous projects in addition to the following document and to David Rood, who was among the first to welcome me into the Department of Linguistics at CU and whose work with the last speaker of Wichita was an inspiration for me during low points in the project. Marcia Haag and Dylan Herrick taught me that I loved linguistics while teaching me what it is. They also started me on the road toward learning the difference between a smart person and a scholar. The entire Department of Linguistics at the University of Colorado Boulder has been extremely supportive. Special thanks go to Steve Duman, whose pep-talks at breweries busted several slumps, to Will Styler and Jesus Villalpando, who provided consistently excellent reading suggestions, and to Kevin Gould and Tim O’Gorman. I have also been greatly assisted in my quest to live a balanced life without sacrificing academic rigor or productivity by individuals associated with such institutions as All Souls Church of Boulder and the CU Boulder chapter of Graduate Christian Fellowship, particularly Benjamin and Elle Tyler, who always succeeded in convincing me that they were excited about my dissertation progress even if I hadn’t washed my dishes. Terrill Schrock’s groundbreaking work facilitated my Nyang’i research. He located the last semi-speakers of Nyang’i, recruited me to do research on the language, connected me with Father Raphael Lobeerei and Komol Isaach, counseled me when I wasn’t getting the results I wanted, and challenged me both to think more ambitiously when my vision was too small and to treat data more cautiously when my analysis was too sloppy. His comments on early drafts were v invaluable. More than a professional contact or a scholarly critic, though, he has been a friend and a mentor. Terrill and Amber’s hospitality and friendship have been a model of grace, love, and many other virtues. My parents didn’t bat an eye when I changed my undergraduate major from engineering to linguistics. Prior to that, they had supported and facilitated my desires to travel to far-flung places at a rather young age, trips that were crucial in preparing me for field research. Their love and support in both professional and personal domains are a true treasure to me. In addition to providing constant encouragement and friendship, Melanie Shaffer celebrated milestones in the project in creative and delightful ways. Her joy in my progress made my joy in my progress that much greater. Any acknowledgements for this project must begin and end with Komol Isaach. Komol’s generous vulnerability in exploring the edges of his memory for the last remnants of linguistic structure is a testimony to his strength, his personability, and his love for his language and culture. He was patient, diligent, and good-humored throughout the research process, and I cannot begin to express how honored I am to have the opportunity to work with him. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... iv Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................................xii 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Nyang’i ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 The Nyang’i people ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2.2 The Nyang’i language ................................................................................................. 4 1.2.3 Nyang’i: a case study in language death ...................................................................... 5 1.3 The Database, Motivation and Methodology ...................................................................... 7 1.4 Organization of the dissertation ........................................................................................ 16 1.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 19 2 Phonology .........................................................................................................................