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Dialects
[edit]Though there have been studies into various Beja dialects, many of these studies are dated. This, Vanhove (2006) argues, combined with the rise of big urban centers which prompt more migration suggests the geography of dialects has changed to an unknown extent.[1] However, Beja can be divided into two dialectical zones: mimhit beɖawiye in the north, and a southern area consisting of the Gash region, with a transition zone of Sinkat where both styles overlap.[1]
Bilingualism and Code Switching
[edit]Many Beja are bilingual Arabic or Tigre speakers. Vanhove (2006) observed that Beja people on the periphery of urban areas are more monolingual than their city dwelling counterparts. Vanhove also argues that gender plays a role in bilingualism, and states that Beja women who are bilingual in Arabic often stop speaking Arabic when a man from their family is around.[1]
With bilingualism has developed a form of code switching, which Hamid Ahmed (2005) argues is used to avoid Beja ethical transgressions by speaking in Arabic.[2]
Despite growing bilingualism, Beja is still seen as prestigious and maintains cultural value.[1] However, Vanhove (2006) predicts that this status is waning because parents are reluctant to teach their children Beja in case it impedes their Arabic learning.[1] This pressure can already be seen linguistically according to Vanhove's data: 12% of the lexical items he collected are Arabic in origin.
Orthography
[edit]Pitch accent is not marked in either orthography, but has been marked as ′ for a high-level pitch and ` for a high falling pitch by individual researchers.[3] It has also been noted by writing the pitched section in bold.[4]
Phonology
[edit]Phonologically long vowels can either have a high-level or a high-falling pitch, while phonologically short vowels have only one accent.[3] Every root has an accent. Multiple morpheme words articulate only the last accent, and the accent in plural words shifts towards the beginning of the word.[4]
There is debate over whether a velar nasal consonant ŋ exists, or is simply a variation of the nasal n.[1][5][6]
Morphology
[edit]The two large classes of Beja roots are nouns and verbs, while the nine smaller classes include adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, demonstratives, interjections, names, numbers, pronouns, and postpositions.[4]
Affixes can either be prefixes attached to the root in two possible slots, or suffixes which can be attached in five or six slots for different suffixes. In Beja, prefixes total around 90, while there are about 130 suffixes. [4]
Certain phonemes in Beja change in articles or demonstratives.[4]
Syntax
[edit]Beja, like many Cushitic languages generally follows a Subject-Object-Verb order and is head final.[4]
- ^ a b c d e f Vanhove, Martin. 2006. “The Beja Language Today in Sudan: The State of the Art in Linguistics”. Proceedings of the 7th International Sudan Studies Conference April 6th – 8th 2006. Bergen, Norway. CD Rom, Bergen: University of Bergen.
- ^ Hamid Ahmed, Mohamed-Tahir. 2005. Ethics and Oral Poetry in Beja Society (Sudan), in Miller, Catherine (ed.) with collaboration of F. Ireton & I. Dalmau, Land, ethnicity and political legitimacy in Eastern Sudan, Kassala & Gedaref States, Cairo, Cedej, p. 473-502.
- ^ a b Hudson, R. (1973). Syllables, moras and accents in Beja. Journal of Linguistics, 9(1), 53-63.
- ^ a b c d e f Wedekind, K., Wedekind, C., & Musa, A. (2008). Beja Pedagogical Grammar. Afrikanistik online, Vol. 2008.
- ^ Vanhove, Martine. 2004. A propos des nasales du bedja. in Boyeldieu, P. and Nougayrol, P. (eds.), Langues et Cultures: Terrains d’Afrique. Hommage à France Cloarec-Heiss. Louvain - Paris, Peeters, p. 271-279.
- ^ Morin, Didier. 1995. “Des paroles douces comme la soie”. Introduction aux contes dans l'aire couchitique (bedja, afar, saho, somali). Paris, Peeters.