This book is a comprehensive and detailed descriptive study of Wolaytta, an Omotic language of the Afroasiatic phylum spoken in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. It is a valuable reference grammar rich in original observations and ideas, including recognition of the existence of voiced glottalized sounds, analyses of actual written Wolaytta, elucidation of common noun forms and their uses based on the notion of “concreteness,” descriptions of proper nouns from various perspectives, and observations of complex voices. The book is a revised version of the author’s 2008 doctoral dissertation, which has been quietly attracting attention from linguists around the world. Its publication is sure to be eagerly received.
Chapter 0 Introductory Notes
0.1 Aim of This Book
0.2 Approach
0.3 Methodology
Chapter 1 The Wolaytta Language: Some Background
1.1 Location of Wolaytta
1.2 Names of the Language
1.3 Comparative Linguistics on Wolaytta
1.4 Neighboring Languages
1.5 Speaker Population
1.6 Previous Works
1.7 Ethnology of Wolaytta
Chapter 2 Phonology
2.1 Consonants
2.2 Vowels2.3 Syllable Structure and Phonotactics
2.4 Prosodic Features
Chapter 3 Grammatology
3.1 Introductory Notes on Wolaytta Grammatology
3.2 Wolaytta Written in the Latin Alphabet
3.3 Wolaytta Written in the Ethiopic Script
3.4 Grammatology by Fieldworkers
Chapter 4 Word Classes
4.1 Introductory Notes on Wolaytta Word Class
4.2 Nominals
4.3 Indeclinables
4.4 Verbs
4.5 Unanalyzed Elements