Grammars of Wandala and Giziga

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With support from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Zygmunt Frajzyngier and Dr. Erin Shay will write complete descriptions of two Central Chadic languages, Wandala and Giziga. Wandala is spoken in Nigeria and in the Far North Province of Cameroon. Giziga is spoken only in the Far North Province of Cameroon. The existing documentation of those languages is scant, and the available fragmentary materials are not always accurate. The Chadic branch is the largest and most diversified family within the Afroasiatic phylum. Some Afroasiatic languages, such as Egyptian and Semitic, are of special significance for Western culture and have long been studied. However, out of some 150 Chadic languages, fewer than 40 have been the object of grammatical descriptions, and some of these are very sketchy. Chadic languages are divided into three or four branches. They are spoken in Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The two languages chosen for description within the current project differ significantly from each other in their syntax, morphology, and phonology. They also differ significantly from already described Chadic languages. The descriptions of the two languages will be useful for comparative studies of Chadic languages and of the Afroasiatic phylum. These descriptions can serve as a basis for the development of literacy materials and will contribute to the preservation of Wandala and Giziga cultural patrimony. The description of undocumented languages not only enriches the set of linguistic facts but also forces revisions of many theoretical assumptions about the nature of language. It also provides scholars in other disciplines with information necessary for the study of cultural and regional history.