A comparative study of the locative system in South-Tanzanian Bantu languages

The paper presents a comparative analysis of locative expressions in four South-Tanzanian Bantu languages, namely Bena (G60), Ngoni (N12), Yao (P21), and Makhuwa (P31). We more particularly explore the locative marking strategies within noun phrases, the issue of locative agreement, and locative inversion constructions. The article pursues two objectives: (1) To describe the form of locative affixes in each of the four languages, and (2) to establish resemblances and dissimilarities between four neighbouring languages spoken in the south of Tanzania. The findings show that, although the locative systems of the four sampled languages are overall very similar, Makhuwa still exhibits a few divergent features.