Clitic Complexes in an African Typological Perspective

More or less simultaneous with Greenberg’s seminal work on SVO, SOV and VSO typology, Bernd Heine published his typology of African languages suggesting four types, adding his type B, S Aux O V (Other). In this group B we find Mande languages but also Kru. The Cushitic languages of the Tanzanian Rift are under his SOV type. The “Aux” of Mande and Kru languages is very similar to the selector in Tanzanian Rift Cushitic and yet indeed the syntax is different in important ways. I present these commonalities and differences. And then I proceed with a comparison of selectors and similar clitic complexes in the rest of (East) Cushitic.

Note: This talk has not gone through a process of peer review, and findings should therefore be treated as preliminary and subject to change. Acknowledgement and citation: Mous, Maarten. 2020. Clitic Complexes in an African Typological Perspective. Talk given at the Rift Valley Network Webinar Series. 13/05/2020.