Aspect and evidentiality in four Bantu languages

Abstract Fully grammaticalized, obligatory evidentiality systems are thought to be rare in the languages of Africa, and in Bantu languages in particular. However, ongoing semantic research in Bantu languages continues to uncover systems that are primarily evidential in their semantics, as well as other grammatical categories that can be exploited secondarily to express evidential distinctions. In this chapter, we discuss Fwe, Nyamwezi, Nzadi, and Ikoma, four geographically and typologically diverse Bantu languages in which distinct grams with overlapping tense–aspect readings exhibit salient distinctions in their evidential force. The evidentiality distinctions seen in these languages add further support for the robust cross-linguistic link between resultatives and indirect evidentials. Links between progressive aspect and ‘authoritive’ (first-hand sensory or trusted second-hand) evidentials are also suggested.