Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Grammar of Gumuz

在埃塞俄比亚西部和苏丹东部的青尼罗河流域使用的古穆兹语被认为属于尼罗-撒哈拉语系，这是世界上研究最少的语系之一。本论文项目将产生一个语法的Gumuz作为口语在两个地点在埃塞俄比亚，锡尔巴阿拜和曼杜拉，分别代表南部和北方品种。由此产生的语法将包括对语言的语音系统和语法结构的广泛描述和分析，这可能有助于了解古穆兹语与其他尼罗-撒哈拉语言的关系。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穆兹人的社会历史（如奴役、移民、种族间接触）对古穆兹语的发展可能发挥的作用（如果有的话）等问题，这项研究与古穆兹人本身有关，因为它将有助于他们母语的文学发展，并为他们提供有关母语的资源。对古姆兹语进行详细的描述和分析，对于改进古姆兹语的文字系统和发展古姆兹语文学具有重要意义。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、各民族和人民有权为初等教育和其他职能发展自己的语言。Gumuz人表示有兴趣让Gumuz成为当地学校的教学语言，但为了使这成为可能，必须完成进一步的语音研究。在进行这一项目的研究时，将收集沿着各种类型的文本以及短语和词汇表，这些都是古穆兹人非常感兴趣的，是他们语言和文化的记录。此外，还将制作一本使用英语、阿姆哈拉语（埃塞俄比亚的一种主要语言）和古穆兹语的三语词典，并提供给语言学家和当地的古穆兹人。

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.