SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Analytic internal comparison of the Kikuyu, Kamba, and Mwimbi verbal systems requires detailed, systematic, and rigorously based presentation of points of similarity and dissimilarity. Over-emphasis or neglect of any dialect, area of the system, or point of similarity or dissimilarity would affect the validity of the comparison. Chapter I states the purpose of the investigation and specifies its field. Here are laid down the definitions and criteria underlying the analysis and providing for systematic and invariant presentation. This chapter also describes the general pattern of the four systems. Chapters II and III list the "endosyntactic unities", or sets of structurally identical constructions, for the "regular" and habitual/continuative systems, respectively. Chapter IV discusses the "morphologic unities", or sets of structurally identical morphemes, found as constituents of these endosyntactic unities. These chapters amount to a systematic presentation of patterned similarities between dialects, but also discuss points of difference. Chapters V and VI complete the comparison proper, describing unpatterned similarities and differences, respectively. It is interesting to note that only similarities seem to show systematic patterning; differences cannot be presented in such a framework. Chapter VII discusses the deductions possible from the results of comparison. Here it is found that few historical conclusions of probable validity can be drawn from the data. Chapter VIII summarizes and concludes the presentation. Appendices I-IV present the data on the four verbal systems which served as a basis for comparison. Appendix V gives the forms of subjective and objective prefixes, eliminated from the main comparison because of their numbers and because they belong to the nominal system, rather than the verbal. The comparison shows the systems are quite similar, though less than anticipated. It also illustrates the feasibility of comparison of verbal data, at least in these dialects by the methods and criteria used.