Bantu issues

Jess Tauber goldenratio at earthlink.net
Sun Dec 15 14:08:01 UTC 2013


Does anyone know of any detailed studies of phonosemantics in Bantu languages? I've been using a new method involving statistics mapping forms against meanings in particular semantic domains, and patterns are jumping out as fast as I can work, but I want to see what others have written.

I'm also looking at root extensions, the less productive ones like -ama- 'positional' rather than the voice-related forms. Anyone looking at these from a systemic perspective? I'm getting the sense that they are more of a posture-based set that dovetails with notions of rank, dominance, etc.

For ex. the aforementioned -ama- in dictionaries I'm consulting far more often than not associates with slanting, leaning, stooping where the upper part of some entity has lateral play while its lower part does not, thus able to affect other entities within reach.

Anyway, just asking. Please contact me at goldenratio at earthlink dot net. Thanks much.

Best wishes to all for a safe and happy holiday season,

Jess Tauber

_______________________________________________
Histling-l mailing list
Histling-l at mailman.rice.edu
https://mailman.rice.edu/mailman/listinfo/histling-l



More information about the Histling-l mailing list