Problems with the lexical evidence used to posit Hadza as an Afroasiatic language are discussed. The failure to identify certain loanwords and the misanalysis of certain Hadza morphemes are... Show moreProblems with the lexical evidence used to posit Hadza as an Afroasiatic language are discussed. The failure to identify certain loanwords and the misanalysis of certain Hadza morphemes are problems rectified by having greater familiarity with Hadza and its linguistic contact history. Other problems are more general to the specific methodology employed. The overly wide semantic range of meanings often allowed in establishing form-meaning sets increases the likelihood of chance resemblances. The use of certain words that are likely onomatopoeic also reduces the impact of the proposed cognate sets. Ultimately, it is the lack of regular, repeated sound correspondences between Hadza and Afroasiatic that makes the proposal of their familial relationship unconvincing. Show less
This study is the first-ever attempt at a comprehensive grammatical description of Hamar, a language spoken in South West Ethiopia by approximately 46.500 people. The study is based on 9... Show moreThis study is the first-ever attempt at a comprehensive grammatical description of Hamar, a language spoken in South West Ethiopia by approximately 46.500 people. The study is based on 9 months of fieldwork carried out between 2012 and 2014 in Hamar territories. Language data was gathered from 14 native speakers in Hamar villages, and it amounts to 50 texts of varying lengths and genres. The grammar investigates the phonology, the morphology, the syntax and some pragmatic and discourse related features of Hamar and it is organized in 13 chapters followed by three appendices: appendix A and B consist of a selected lexicon of circa 1400 entries, appendix C includes three annotated Hamar texts. Hamar is a fascinating language and it has revealed unique typological features: the noun classification system of Hamar for instance is a rare example of ʻnon-fixedʼ gender system, i.e. a system in which gender is not an inherent property of nouns, but optional. The grammar is of interests to typologists but also to linguists interested in comparative Afro-Asiatic studies: the grammar offers an overview of the classificatory issue of Hamar and South Omotic languages, and it includes an updated comparative list of South Omotic lexicon. Show less