SOAS Research Online

Abstract

After a preface, a general index is given, followed by a general introduction. Following this introduction are the nine main chapters of the thesis, each with an individual outline of its contents, and grouped as follows: chapter 1 introduces the various transcriptions used; chapters 2 and 3 describe the phonology; and chapters 4 to 9 present the grammatical analysis. Within these grammatical chapters, there are certain subgroupings. Chapter 4 presents the analysis from the sentence to the piece, and chapters 6 to 9 handle the analysis of the various pieces introduced in chapter 4. Chapters 6 and 7 describe the pieces whose structure can be stated in terms of phrases, taking the analysis down to the level of the morpheme; chapters 8 and 9 deal with those pieces and their constituents which are not analysed in terms of phrases. Chapter 5 is somewhat different, as it describes two aspects of the grammar - the prefixial paradigm and the relationship between strong and weak forms - which are relevant to the description of both phrasal and non-phrasal pieces. Following these nine chapters, an analysis of one of the texts is provided. The thesis is then concluded with a vocabulary of stems cited in the thesis, and a bibliography.