Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Grammar of Gumuz

古木兹语在埃塞俄比亚西部和苏丹东部的青尼罗河流域使用，被认为属于尼罗-撒哈拉语系，是世界上研究最少的语系之一。这个论文项目将产生一个古木兹的语法，在埃塞俄比亚的两个地方说，Sirba Abay和Mandura，分别代表南部和北部的变体。由此产生的语法将包括对该语言的语音系统和语法结构的广泛描述和分析，这可能有助于阐明古木兹语与尼罗-撒哈拉其他语言的关系。Gumuz的语法将大大增加关于尼罗-撒哈拉语言的有限信息。这项研究还将探讨古木兹人的社会历史(如奴役、迁徙、种族间接触)对古木兹语言的发展可能起到的作用等问题。这项研究与古木兹人本身有关，因为它将帮助他们的母语文学发展，并为他们提供关于他们母语的资源。对古木兹语进行详细的描述和分析，对于改进古木兹语的书写系统和发展该语言的文学具有重要意义。自1991年以来，埃塞俄比亚新的民族联邦制政治结构承认各民族、各民族和各民族有权为小学教育和其他职能发展自己的语言。古木兹人表示有兴趣让古木兹成为当地学校的教学语言，但为了实现这一目标，必须完成进一步的音系学研究。在进行这个项目的研究时，将收集各种体裁的文本以及古木兹人非常感兴趣的短语和词汇表，作为他们语言和文化的记录。此外，还将编制一本使用英语、阿姆哈拉语(埃塞俄比亚的一种主要语言)和古木兹语的三种语言词典，供语言学家和当地的古木兹人使用。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

The Gumuz language, spoken in the Blue Nile valley of western Ethiopia and eastern Sudan, is thought to belong to the Nilo-Saharan family, one of the least studied language families in the world. This dissertation project will produce a grammar of Gumuz as spoken in two locations within Ethiopia, Sirba Abay and Mandura, representing the southern and northern varieties respectively. The resulting grammar will include an extensive description and analysis of both the sound system and the grammatical structures of the language, which may shed light on the relationship of the Gumuz language to other Nilo-Saharan languages. A grammar of Gumuz will add significantly to the scant information available on Nilo-Saharan languages. The research will also address such issues as what role, if any, the social history of the Gumuz people (e.g. enslavement, migrations, interethnic contact) may have had on the development of the Gumuz language.This research is relevant to the Gumuz people themselves in that it will aid in literature development in their mother tongue as well as provide them with resources on their native language. A detailed description and analysis of the Gumuz language is important for improving the writing system and developing literature in the language. Since 1991, the new Ethiopian political structure of ethnic federalism has recognized the right of nations, nationalities, and peoples to develop their languages for primary education and other functions. The Gumuz people have expressed interest in having Gumuz be a language of instruction in the local schools but, in order for this to be possible, further phonological research must be completed. In conducting the research for this project, various genres of texts will be collected along with phrases and word lists which will be of great interest to the Gumuz people as a record of their language and culture. In addition, a tri-glot dictionary using English, Amharic (a major language of Ethiopia) and Gumuz will be produced and made available to both linguists and the local Gumuz people alike.This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.