Missouri State University’s linguistics program will host Dr. Michael R. Marlo for MSU’s Fall 2024 Linguistics Colloquium event 12-1 p.m. (CT) Nov. 14, 2024, via Zoom.

Marlo is an associate professor of English at the University of Missouri and editor of the Contemporary African Linguistics series of Language Science Press.

His presentation is titled “Meru tonal dialectology: a new collaborative project in African linguistics.”

According to event coordinator Dr. Antoinette Barffour, Marlo’s presentation will focus on the tonal systems of Bantu languages, specifically the Luyia language, which is spoken in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. 

“In this session of the colloquium, we are honored to have as speaker Dr. Marlo, whose research centers on under-studied African languages,” said Barffour, associate professor of French and applied linguistics at MSU.

“Several indigenous African languages are endangered, and this problem is in part attributable to the fact that these languages are grossly under-studied,” Barffour explained. “We strongly encourage all students to join our colloquium, as it offers an opportunity for them to gain insights into the structures and use of human languages. Participants will appreciate the cultural value in learning about a lesser known language and its speakers.”

This virtual event is open to all students, faculty, staff and anyone interested in these areas of study.

Research abstract

Dr. Marlo’s research abstract is as follows:

This presentation reports on recent collaborative research conducted on the tonal dialectology of the Meru dialect cluster. The “Meru dialects” are a group of understudied Bantu language varieties spoken to the east of Mt. Kenya in central Kenya by a population of around 2.2M. Our project collected new data on tone in seven language varieties in July 2024: Chuka, Ĩembe, Imenti, Tiania, Mũthambĩ, Mwĩmbĩ, and Tharaka. The aims of our project are to understand how tone works in each individual language. Though it is not our central focus, our approach of carrying out several parallel studies simultaneously enables comparison across the languages, which we expect will eventually lead us to a better understanding of the linguistic history of languages in this region. Our preliminary findings confirm the importance of tone as a basic feature in need of linguistic description in these languages. Tone is lexically contrastive. For example, in Tharaka, the nouns è-rìà ‘lake’, è-rìá ‘weed’, and è-ríà ‘milk’ differ only in tone (High tone is marked with an acute accent, e.g. á, and low tone is marked with a grave accent, e.g. à.). Tone also plays a role in marking certain grammatical differences. For instance, the spelling <nĩbagwĩre> “they fell” corresponds to two different verbs that differ in tone and vowel length and refer to different time periods: né-bà-à-gw-éérɛ́ refers to an action that took place before yesterday, while né-bá-gw-èèrɛ́ refers to an action that took place earlier today. I will discuss some core tonal patterns found consistently in Meru nouns and will flag a few areas where the languages differ that appears to be fruitful areas for future linguistic research.

About the colloquium

MSU’s linguistics program is offered as an interdisciplinary minor, incorporating courses from world languages, anthropology and communication sciences and disorders.

As an extension of the linguistics program, the Colloquium Series was launched in 2020. The colloquium encourages faculty and students involved in linguistics to share some of their recent work in an informal setting.

The colloquium is held at least twice a year.

Colloquium highlights linguistics as ideal degree supplement

The study of linguistics encompasses a broad spectrum of topics, according to Barffour.

In addition to studying how languages are perceived, processed and produced, “Linguists are equally interested in regional variations in languages and dialects, institutional laws, societal expectations and perceptions and how they all impact sign, spoken or written languages,” she said.

Barffour stressed that the study of linguistics can supplement any academic degree, and the colloquium is one means by which students can learn more about the discipline.

“Our goal for the colloquium is to provide opportunity for students to gain more insight into the interdisciplinary and intriguing nature of linguistics, and to encourage them to complement their knowledge in history, politics, cognitive psychology, computer science, philosophy, international business, hospitality, sociology, criminology and health sciences with courses in language and linguistics,” she explained.

“We strongly believe that linguistics is a scientific field that fits into the broader scope of their educational training and will ultimately enhance their readiness for the job market.”

Mark your calendar for the Linguistics Colloquium Series on Zoom

Past presenters

The series has presented a variety of speakers and topics. A few of the recent ones include:

• Spring 2024 —
  • Language rights and the law in Scandinavia: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland – Dr. Eduardo Faingold, professor of Spanish and linguistics at the University of Tulsa
• Fall 2023 —
  • What’s in a Name? The Erasure of the Valencian Language in Spanish Education – Dr. Vincente Iranzo, assistant professor of modern languages, University of Texas-Arlington.
• Spring 2023 —
  • Hypersensitivity or intolerance to sounds – Dr. Wafaa Kaf, audiologist and professor of communication sciences and disorders, MSU.
• 2022 —
  • The complexities of the term “caboclo” – Dr. Marnie K. Watson, associate professor of anthropology, MSU.
  • Misunderstanding language as a commodity from a Marxist perspective – Dr. John Petrovic, professor and program coordinator of the department of education leadership, policy and technology, University of Alabama.
  • Ancient roman graffiti: cognitive and social dimensions of religion – Dr. Bryan Brinkman, assistant professor of languages, cultures and religions and global studies, MSU.

For more information about the colloquium series, contact Dr. Antoinette Barffour.

Explore more opportunities in linguistics