A grammatical sketch of Kunda Language

Abstract

This dissertation provides a grammatical sketch of Kunda language which is spoken in the Eastern province of Zambia, particularly in Mambwe district. The dissertation focuses on the three levels of linguistic analysis and these are phonology, morphology and syntax. The analysis described in this grammatical sketch is based on data collected in the three chiefdoms of Mambwe district namely, Nsefu, Mnkhanya and Jumbe, through the use of six adult native speakers of Kunda language. Each of the informants was given lists of English words and sentences to provide equivalents in Kunda language. Data were arranged according to type and objectives. The data were then categorised according to levels of linguistic analysis applied in the study and the findings were analysed and interpreted according to these levels. The study also relied on document analysis as its source of data. This involved analysing existing manuscripts written in the language. At phonological level, the study reveals that Kunda has five distinctive phonemic vowels and twenty four consonants. The study also reveals that Kunda language shares the syllable structures with many other Bantu languages and its common syllable patterns being the open type that include V,C, CV and CSV. With regard to morphology, the study has established that Kunda has eighteen noun classes most of which consist of nominal prefixes which are followed by a stem. The study further reveals that some noun classes may be involved in the formation of diminutives and augmentatives. At nominal morphology, the study deals with the Kunda noun phrase which includes pronouns, adjectives, demonstratives possessives and quantifiers. The study observes that the verbal structure of Kunda contains numerous prefixes and suffixes and that the basic verbal root for Kunda is CVC. It has also been established that Kunda uses a series of suffixes in verbal derivations. In addition, the study reveals that the basic word order for Kunda is subject, verb and object (SVO). The study also observes that the word order in Kunda is not restrictive; the position of the main clauses may vary. The study establishes that both yes-no and content questions in Kunda are distinct. The adverbial clauses in Kunda are used to provide additional information about time, place and manner.