A grammar of the verb in Mbum (Adamawa language, Cameroon)

该项目关注姆布姆语（中部阿达马瓦语、姆布姆语组、南姆布姆语子组）的动词和谓语，旨在用功能类型学方法对喀麦隆语进行专题描述。该语言的音系分析是可用的（hagires 1970）。从类型学的角度来看，阿达马瓦族语言和姆布姆语的语言系统总体上有许多有趣的特征：音调极性区分了具有不同论点结构的词干，高度复杂的（音系）动词词（clitic elements的积累，包括相位标记），以及大量涉及复杂谓词的策略，更具体地说，包括连续动词结构。仔细研究姆布姆族语言的后一种结构，将在该领域获得重要的证据。来自相关语言Kare（东姆布亚组）和Dii（中央Ada-mawa， Duru集群）的证据指向了连续动词结构（以下简称SVC），即所谓的“叙事性SVC”类型，其中运动动词作为结构的一部分为整体事件提供了一定的空间框架（Markgraf 2011）。到目前为止，这种类型的SVC已经被记录在巴布亚-新几内亚语言中（Pawley和Lane 1998），并且可能对各种语言中概念化空间和时间领域的研究有一些兴趣（参见Givón 1991， Talmy 2000）。从预期的研究中收集的结果也将用于中央Adamawa的类型比较（以及仍在进行的项目“Grundlagenforschung in den Ada-mawasprachen”的结果），以及其他地方。

Focusing on verb and predication in Mbum (Central Adamawa, Mbum Group, Southern Mbum Sub-Group), this project aims at the monographic description of this Cameroonian language within the framework of a functional-typological approach. A phonological analysis of that language is available (Hagège 1970). In a typological perspective, the verbal systems of Adamawa Group languages in general and of the Mbum language as a case in point have a number of interesting features: Tonal polarity that distinguishes stems with different argument structures, highly complex (phonological) verb words (accumulation of clitic elements, including aspect markers), and a multitude of strategies involving complex predicates in general and, more specifically, serial verb constructions.A closer look at these latter structures in languages of the Mbum Group will yield important evidence in that field. Evidence from the related languages Kare (East Mbum Sub-Group) and Dii (Central Ada-mawa, Duru Cluster) point to serial verb constructions (henceforth SVC) the so-called "narrative SVC" type, where motion verbs as part of the structure supply a certain spatial framing to the overall event (Markgraf 2011). SVC's of this type have been documented so far for languages of Papua-New Gui-nea (Pawley and Lane 1998), and might be of some interest for studies in the field of conceptualizing space and time in various languages (see Givón 1991, Talmy 2000).The results gleaned from the intended research will also be used for a typological comparison within Central Adamawa (along with results from the still ongoing project "Grundlagenforschung in den Ada-mawasprachen"), and beyond.