The Nuba Mountain languages: an introduction

Abstract

This book is the outcome of the first international conference on the Nuba Mountain languages, held in Leiden, September 2-4, 2011. It contains 32 original contributions and constitutes an important leap forward in the linguistic exploration of this complex area. The Nuba Mountains are seen as a well circumscribed geographical and cultural area by its inhabitants and outsiders alike. They are almost entirely located in the centre of the State of South Kordofan within the Republic of the Sudan. The term 'Nuba Mountain languages' refers to the forty-plus languages natively spoken in this area - in addition to regional varieties of Arabic. These languages can uncontroversially be assigned to ten linguistic (genetic) groups. The articles in this volume deal with languages from each of the ten indigenous language groups of the Nuba Mountains. They also cover a wide range of topics, with a focus on descriptive linguistics. However, it is often impossible to put a particular contribution into one of the traditional linguistic boxes syntax - morphology - phonology. This is to be expected in pioneer studies of previously poorly researched languages.