Grammatical relations and lexical semantics in Kordofan Nubian - A descriptive and historical-comparative investigation of verbal forms

本研究着眼于动词语义、配价变化词法和语法关系的形态句法标记之间的复杂交互作用，以苏丹境内两种关系密切的库尔多凡语为研究对象。从基因上讲，他们是努比亚语系的一部分，努比亚语系代表着尼罗-撒哈拉沙漠东部苏丹半岛北部分支的一个子群。语法关系可以通过不同的形态句法手段、格标记法、语序、动词上的人称标记对核心成分的交叉指代和配价变化词法来表达。例如，南部的东苏丹语主要使用配价变化的动词素，而北部的语言则使用广泛的大小写标记系统。在努比亚语中，这两种策略都被用来表达工具、方式、地点、目标或受益者等外围语义角色。因此，该项目旨在研究配价变化的词法，特别注意它赋予论元的语义角色。除了语法化理论之外，动词的语义变化是如何进行的这一问题很少从词汇和语法的角度进行讨论。因此，这个问题是项目的核心。申请者是尼罗-撒哈拉语言毛皮、贝里亚(撒哈拉)和努比亚的合格专家。她在描述性研究和历史比较研究方面经验丰富，对拟议项目的所有方面都进行了筹备研究，而且，该项目基于她的广泛专著《科尔多凡努比亚--共时和历时研究》(接受出版，附pdf)。在这本专著中，申请者重建了大约165个动词词根。这些动词将构成该项目的数据库，探讨以下问题：这些动词可以使用哪些价态变化的语素？它们为论元分配了哪些语义角色？动词的形态句法行为将在不同的语篇类型中进行分析，但也将通过调查问卷的方式进行分析，例如莱比锡MPI的配价类问卷。从同源动词和同源配价变化语素的比较中获得的语义变化的洞察将通过设计语义地图来说明。在班图语之外，很少有人将比较法应用于词汇语义的研究。因此，这是非洲语言研究中的一种创新方法。该项目的产出将包括几个会议发言和文章。将在项目过程中编写一本结束性专著，拟议项目将为期24个月，其中包括与积极讲库尔多凡语的人密切合作，在苏丹进行为期7个月的实地工作。

Focusing on the complex interaction of verb semantics, valency changing morphology, and the morphosyntactic marking of grammatical relations, the proposed research project is concerned with two closely related Kordofan Nubian languages spoken in Sudan. Genetically they are part of the Nubian language family which represents a subgroup of the northern Eastern Sudanic branch of Nilo-Saharan. Grammatical relations can be expressed by different morphosyntactic devices, case marking, constituent order, cross-referencing of the core constituents by person markers on the verb, and valency changing morphology. The southern East Sudanic languages, for instance, mainly use valency changing verbal morphemes while languages of the northern group use extensive case marking systems. In Nubian, both strategies are used to express peripheral semantic roles such as instrument, manner, location, goal or beneficiary. The project therefore aims at investigating the valency changing morphology with particular attention to the semantic roles it assigns to the arguments. Outside of the theory of grammaticalization, the question how semantic change of verbs proceeds has rarely been addressed from a lexical and grammatical perspective. Therefore this question lies at the core of the project.The applicant is a qualified expert in the Nilo-Saharan languages Fur, Beria (Saharan), and Nubian. Experienced in descriptive and historical-comparative research, she has carried out preparatory research on all aspects of the proposed project which is, moreover, based on her extensive monograph "Kordofan Nubian. A synchronic and diachronic study" (accepted for publication, pdf attached). In this monograph, the applicant has reconstructed some 165 verb roots. These verbs will form the data base of the project exploring the following questions: Which valency changing morphemes can these verbs take? Which semantic roles do they assign to the arguments? The morphosyntactic behaviour of the verbs will be analyzed in various genres of text but also by means of questionnaires such as the Valency Classes questionnaire of the MPI Leipzig. The insights into semantic change gained from the comparison of cognate verbs and cognate valency changing morphemes will be illustrated by designing semantic maps. Outside of Bantu languages, the comparative method has hardly been applied to carry out research on lexical semantics. This is therefore an innovative approach within African language studies. The output of the project will comprise several conference presentations and articles. A concluding monograph will be prepared in the course of the project.The proposed project is scheduled for 24 months including 7 months of field work in Sudan in close cooperation with highly motivated Kordofan Nubian speakers.