Clement Appah

Thesis Working Title

A Grammar of Derived Nominals in Akan

Research Interests

My research interests include, but not limited to:

Linguistic Theory,
Phonetics/Phonology,
Morphology,
Syntax, and
The grammar of African languages especially, Akan and Swahili.

Within these broad areas, I have worked on various issues in Serial verb constructions (SVCs) within the framework of Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG), Nominal Derivation in Akan, Syntactic behaviour of derived nominals in Akan, Compounding, Reduplication and its functions, etc.

In the past, I have worked on language use and language choice in political discourses in Ghana with Nana Aba Amfo, Jemima Anderson and Gladys Ansah.

Other areas of interest that I hope to do some work on in the future are:

Lexical coding of gender stratification
The extent to which the degree of nativization of a loanword can be signalled by the choice of a 'local' morphological material (e.g., affix).

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Appah, C. K. I. (2009). The representation of ISVC in C and F structures of LFG: A proposal. In SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics [online].2009, vol. 6, no. 1 [cit. 2009-07-06]. Available on web page http://www.skase.sk/Volumes/JTL13/pdf_doc/06.pdf. ISSN 1339-782X

Appah, C.K.I. (2005), Action Nominalization in akan. In M. E. Kropp Dakubu and E. K. Osam (Ed); Studies in the languages of the Volta Basin: Proceedings of the Annual Colloquium of the Legon-Trondheim Linguistics Project. Vol. 3. pp. 132-142.

Appah, C.K.I. (2004), Nominal derivation from Noun Phrases in Akan. In M. E. Kropp Dakubu and E. K. Osam (Ed); Studies in the languages of the Volta Basin: Proceedings of the Annual Colloquium of the Legon-Trondheim Linguistics Project. Vol. 2. pp 166-182.

CONFERENCE/SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

Appah, C. K. I., (2009). Reduplication: a valence-reducing strategy in Akan. A paper presented at the Research in Theoretical Linguistics (RITL), Research Group meeting, Lancaster University on 3rd December, 2009.

Appah, C. K. I., (2009). On the distinction between compounds and phrases in Akan: is there a reliable phonological criterion? A paper presented at the Phonetics, Phonology and Variation (SPEECH) Research group meeting on 5th November, 2009.

Appah, C. K. I., (2009). Compounding in Akan: a poster presented at the Universals and Typology in Word-Formation, conference, Košice-Slovakia, 16-18 August, 2009

Appah, C. K. I., (2009). Argument inheritance in Deverbal nominals in Akan. A paper presented at the 4th LAEL Postgraduate Conference on Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, 2nd July, 2009.

Appah, C. K. I., (2009). Morphology and Syntax of Action Nominals in Akan. A paper presented at the LangUE 2009, the 4th Language at the University of Essex Postgraduate Conference, University of Essex Colchester, 11th - 12th June 2009

Appah, C. K. I., (2008) Expressing Manner in Akan. Ms. Linguistics Department, UG, Accra

Appah, C. K. I., (2006) Derived Action nominals as adverbials in Akan: A paper presented at the 2nd Conference on Applied linguistics. Organized by the Department of Applied linguistics, University of Education, Winneba. 27th - 28th November, 2006

Appah, C. K. I., E. Apenteng-Sackey and Kofi Agyekum (2006) Linguistics and the job market. A paper presented at the 4th Faculty of Arts Colloquium: 27th - 28th April 2006.

Appah, C. K. I. (2006). The function of -nyi/-ni (-fo/-fo) in derived nouns in Akan. Ms, Linguistics Department, UG, Legon, Accra.

Appah, C. K. I. (2005). The representation of ISVC in C(ategorial) and F(unctional) structures of LFG: A proposal. Ms, Linguistics Department, UG, Legon, Accra.

Appah, C. K. I. (2004). The Retroflex sound in Akan; a preliminary Observation. Ms. Linguistics Department, UG, Legon, Accra.

Appah, C. K. I. (2003), Nominal derivation in Akan; A descriptive analysis. MPhil Thesis, Institute of Language and Communication studies, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.

Appah, C. K. I. (2002), Nominal derivation in Akan. Ms, Department of Linguistics, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.

Appah, C. K. I. (2001). An Autosegmental Study of Nasalization in Akan. Ms. NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

Appah, C. K. I. (2001). Treatment of iSVC in the sub-theories of C(ategorial) and F(unctional) structures of Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG); A proposal. Ms, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.

Appah, C. K. I. (1999), Ulinganishi wa uundaji wa maneno katika Kiswahili na Kiakan: uhusiano na tofauti. Unpublished project work, Department of Swahili, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

WORKING PAPERS

Morphopragmatics of the Diminutive in Akan. With Nana Aba Amfo.

Expressing Manner in Kwa: evidence from three Kwa languages - Akan, Ewe and Ga.

Event termination: A common feature of the Future tense & Progressive aspect in Akan, with Nana Aba Amfo

Serialization, Complementation and Co-ordination, Vehicles for expressing conceptualized integrated events, with, Nana Aba Amfo

The functions of nominalizers in Akan.

Number marking in Akan.

The Syntax of nominal adverbials in Akan.

The choice of a 'local affix' as a mark of the extent of loanword nativization.

Current Teaching

I am not teaching currently. However, in the past, I have taught a lot of courses in Linguistics, including:

Introduction to Linguistics,
Morphology,
Syntax,
The Structure of English Words
Phonetics and Phonology of Akan,
Morphology and Syntax of Akan.

I would be interested in joining any discussion on any of these areas of language study.

Would like to meet

Iam working on "A Grammar (Morphology & Syntax) of Derived Nominals in Akan". Akan is the most widely spoken language in Ghana. Its dialects include Akuapem, Asante, Fante and Bono. I want to invite all and anyone interested in investigating how nouns are formed and how they are used to let us start a discussion group.

Other Interests and Hobbies

When I am not doing Linguistics, I am likely to be 'caught' writing a song, arranging a song, or singing (probably in a recording studio).

I recorded an album (M'enyidado -"My Hope") in April 2001. I have so many songs that I have recorded and many more that I have written but not recorded yet. I write in different styles and languages including English, Akan and Swahili.

I would like to meet anyone interested in exploring rhythms from Africa including: Highlife, Hiplife, Agbadza, Kpanlongo, etc.

I also like to engage in intelligent discussions on politics and issues relating to Africa and its relation with other parts of the world.

I am a Christian and would welcome people who want to engage in Bible discussions and all who want to know what the Christian faith is about. My favourite topics include: The problem of sin, Overcoming sin, Salvation, Redemption, Faith, and the Holy Spirit (His person and work in the life of both the believer and the unbeliever).

Associated research centres: Language, Ideology and Power Group (LIP), Theoretical Linguistics (RITL)

Keywords: Africa, Christianity, Grammar, Grammatical theory and description, Language, Leadership, Lexical grammar, Methodism, Morphological theory, Morphology, Music, Phonological theory