My term paper deals with one of the South African languages, the Zulu language.
In my grammar report, accompanying the seminar, I already dealt with the Zulu language more precisely I tried to explain the phenomenon of the Zulu noun. Besides our seminar, the motivation and idea to deal with this topic has arisen from my personal experiences. Since I lived and worked approximately five months in South Africa last year. The Zulu language aroused my interest because it differs from all languages I know, but nevertheless it includes English words or word parts.
This time, in my term paper, I will try to discuss the way of forming a relative clause in Zulu. This formation usually involves a prefix, also called relative concord, which is attached to the predicate of a relative clause. A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun. Generally in most European languages, a relative clause is introduced by a relative pronoun, which belongs to a special class of pronouns. “In other languages, relative clauses may be marked in different ways: they may be introduced by a special class of conjunctions called relativizers; the main verb of the relative clause may appear in a special morphological variant; or a relative clause may be indicated by word order alone. In some languages, more than one of these mechanisms may be possible.“
Since relative clauses in Zulu were formed in a different way than in most European languages I would like to examine this problem in more detail.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- I. Introduction
- II. The Zulu language and its characteristics
- a. Geographical and social facts
- b. Grammatical facts
- III. The relative clause
- a. The different relative clause formation across languages
- b. The relative clause formation in German
- c. The relative clause formation in Latin
- d. The relative clause formation in Spanish
- e. The relative clause formation in English
- IV. The relative clause in Zulu
- a. The agreement system and the relative concords in Zulu
- b. Relative clitics in Zulu
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The term paper aims to analyze the formation of relative clauses in the Zulu language, focusing on the unique grammatical features that distinguish it from European languages.
- The characteristics and structure of the Zulu language
- The formation of relative clauses in various languages, including German, Latin, Spanish, and English
- The specific mechanisms used to form relative clauses in Zulu, including the role of prefixes and clitics
- The comparison of relative clause formation in Zulu to other languages, highlighting its distinctive features
- The cultural and historical context surrounding the Zulu language and its development
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The paper introduces the topic of relative clause formation in Zulu, highlighting the differences between its formation in Zulu and European languages. The author states that Zulu is a complex language with unique features and explains the motivation behind choosing this topic.
- The Zulu Language and its Characteristics: This chapter delves into the geographical, social, and grammatical features of the Zulu language. It covers the diverse linguistic landscape of South Africa, the origins and history of the Zulu language, and its distinct characteristics, including tonal aspects and clicking consonants.
- The Relative Clause: This chapter explores the concept of relative clauses, examining their formation in various languages, including German, Latin, Spanish, and English. It provides an overview of the different mechanisms used to form relative clauses in these languages, laying the groundwork for understanding the specific case of Zulu.
- The Relative Clause in Zulu: This chapter focuses on the formation of relative clauses in Zulu. It examines the agreement system and relative concords, which are prefixes attached to the predicate of a relative clause. The chapter also discusses the role of relative clitics in Zulu, highlighting their function in modifying the meaning of the relative clause.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this paper are: relative clause formation, Zulu language, grammaticalization, prefixes, clitics, relative concords, Bantu languages, South African languages, linguistic diversity, and cultural context.
- Citation du texte
- Alexandra Orth (Auteur), 2009, The relative clause formation in Zulu, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/171577
