Assibi Apatewon Amidu

About

About me

I am Professor Emeritus of Kiswahili/Swahili (language, linguistics, literature, and culture).

I hold the following degrees:

BA in French with Swahili from the University of Ghana, Ghana (1973).

Masters in an African language (Swahili language and literature) (1976), SOAS Unversity of London.

PhD in an African language and linguistics (Swahili) (1980), SOAS University of London.

I taught Kiswahili/Swahili from 1980 to 2018.

I am currently doing only research work.

Research interests I

Kiswahili/Swahili language and linguistic structure, primarily its morphology and syntax, with emphasis on the following:

Gender and noun classes in Kiswahili/Swahili and Bantu.

The paradox of matrix NPs in Kiswahili/Swahili and syntactic theory.

Transitivity and argument structure in Kiswahili/Swahili.

Pronouns and pronominalization, including reflexive and reflexivization and relativization.

The paradox of Kiswahili/Swahili locative syntax in modern linguistic syntax.

Tenses in Kiswahili.

The diversity between Kiswahili/Kiswahili language structure, on one side, and linguistic, typological, documentation and, grammatical theories and models, on the other side.

Aspects of language contact, especially lexical and grammatical borrowings.

Research interests II

Kiswahili/Swahili history, civilization, culture, and literature (both traditional and modern).

Kiswahili/Swahili in the social, cultural, educational and political development of East Africa.

Kiswahili/Kiswahili in national and transnational language planning, education, broadcasting, and as a vehicle of wide communication (LWC) or lingua franca.

Kiswahili/Swahili as a medium for the expression of identity, as well as political, global, religious, human, children and gender rights both in Eastern African and in the diaspora.

Kiswahili/Swahili and modernity in a global world.

Current project

Tenses in Kiswahili/Swahili with particular emphasis on gaps in the their grammatical descriptions.

Duties

I was responsible for all aspects of Kiswahili/Swahilli programme and teaching from 1992-2018.

I was a member of the Programme Board for Foreign Languages in our department.

Membership of societies

Member of the Linguistic Association of Korea.

Member of the Association for Linguistic Typology (ALT).

Member of the Nordic Association of Linguistics.

Member of the editorial board of the Journal of Humanities (JH), University of Dodoma, Tanzania.

Publications

2018

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2018) Locative and Non-locative in Kiswahili Bantu. A Study of Inversion, Transitivity, and Choice. 2018. ISBN 978-3-89645-713-4.
Academic monograph

2013

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2013) Objects and complements in Kiswahili clauses : : a study of their mechanisms and patterns. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2013. ISBN 9783896455604.
Academic monograph

2012

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2012) PP Arguments in Kiswahili Bantu and their Implications for Transitivity Theory. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 20 (1).
Academic article

2011

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2011) African language teaching and research with emphasis on Swahili. North-South Contributions to African Languages.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2011) Reflexive and reciprocal syntax revisited : apologia for internal evidence in Kiswahili. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2011. ISBN 9783896457073.
Academic monograph

2010

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2010) Comments on the review by Kathrin Tiewa (Cologne) 2009. Afrikanistik online.
Short communication
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2010) Motivation and Transitivity: the Problem of the Intransitive in Kiswahili Bantu. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 18 (4).
Academic article

2009

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) A Note on a Shared Heritage: The Bread Culture of the Waswahili of Zanzibar. Journal of Humanities (JH). volum 1 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) Matrix Nominal Phrases in Kiswahili Bantu. A Study of their Effects on Argument Syntax. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2009. ISBN 9783896455505.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) The role of Islam in the political and social perceptions of the Waswahili of Lamu. Knowledge, Renewal and Religion. Repositioning and changing ideological and material circumstances among the Swahili of the East African Coast.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2008

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2008) On the Trail of Inanimate Entities in Kiswahili Classes 1/2, MU1/WA. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 16 (3).
Academic article

2007

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2007) Semantic assigment rules in Bantu classes. A renalysis based on Kiswahili. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2007. ISBN 9783896457035.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2007) Why locative marking in Kiswahili Bantu is not that simple. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 15 (3).
Academic article

2006

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2006) The Syntax and Semantics of Naming Strings in Kiswahili Classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 14 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2006) Pronouns and Pronominalizations in Kiswahili Grammar. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2006. ISBN 3896455435.
Academic monograph

2004

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Kiswahili Language Description and Translational Grammars. Taiwan journal of linguistics. volum 2 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Political Poetry among the Swahili: The Kimondo Verses from Lamu. Swahili Modernities: Culture, Politics, and Identity on the East Coast of Africa.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Reflexives and Reflexivization in Kiswahili Grammar. 2004. ISBN 389645028X.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) The Problem of Entity Denoting Nouns in the Kiswaili Locative Class. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 12 (3).
Academic article

2003

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2003) Conflict between tradition and social change. A case study in Kenya. Cultural studies: Themes and perspectives. Essays in culture, folklore, linguistics, aesthetics and literay criticism.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2003) Language Teaching and Semantic Interpretation in Kiswahili Classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 11 (3).
Academic article

2002

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2002) The paradox of number and non-number in Kiswahili classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 10 (4).
Academic article

2001

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2001) Argument and Predicate Relations in Kiswahili A New Analysis of Transitiveness in Bantu. 2001. ISBN 3-89645-042-5. Grammatische Analysen Afrikanischer Sprachen.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2001) Language and Development Research in Africa: Based on Kiswahili, Buli and Akan Traditions. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum vol. 9 (No. 1).
Academic article

1998

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1998) The Problem of Lexical Cohesion and Lexical Structure in Bantu Classes (Part 2). Nordic Journal of African Studies. volum 7 (2).
Academic article

1997

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1997) Classes in Kiswahili : a study of their forms and implications. 1997. ISBN 3-89645-022-0.
Non-fiction book
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1997) Classes in Kiswahili. A Study of their Forms and Implications. 1997. ISBN 3-89645-022-0. East African Languages and Dialects.
Academic monograph

Journal publications

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2017) Why is the Locative NP in Kiswahili not Syntactically Oblique?. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 25 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2015) Remarks on Agreements in Kiswahili Possessive NPs. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 23 (4).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2014) A Study of Non-Colonial Prepositions in Kiswahili. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 22 (2).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2012) PP Arguments in Kiswahili Bantu and their Implications for Transitivity Theory. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 20 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2010) Comments on the review by Kathrin Tiewa (Cologne) 2009. Afrikanistik online.
Short communication
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2010) Motivation and Transitivity: the Problem of the Intransitive in Kiswahili Bantu. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 18 (4).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) A Note on a Shared Heritage: The Bread Culture of the Waswahili of Zanzibar. Journal of Humanities (JH). volum 1 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2008) On the Trail of Inanimate Entities in Kiswahili Classes 1/2, MU1/WA. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 16 (3).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2007) Why locative marking in Kiswahili Bantu is not that simple. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 15 (3).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2006) The Syntax and Semantics of Naming Strings in Kiswahili Classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 14 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Kiswahili Language Description and Translational Grammars. Taiwan journal of linguistics. volum 2 (1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) The Problem of Entity Denoting Nouns in the Kiswaili Locative Class. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 12 (3).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2003) Language Teaching and Semantic Interpretation in Kiswahili Classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 11 (3).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2002) The paradox of number and non-number in Kiswahili classes. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum 10 (4).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2001) Language and Development Research in Africa: Based on Kiswahili, Buli and Akan Traditions. Linguistic Association of Korea Journal. volum vol. 9 (No. 1).
Academic article
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1998) The Problem of Lexical Cohesion and Lexical Structure in Bantu Classes (Part 2). Nordic Journal of African Studies. volum 7 (2).
Academic article

Books

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2018) Locative and Non-locative in Kiswahili Bantu. A Study of Inversion, Transitivity, and Choice. 2018. ISBN 978-3-89645-713-4.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2013) Objects and complements in Kiswahili clauses : : a study of their mechanisms and patterns. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2013. ISBN 9783896455604.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2011) Reflexive and reciprocal syntax revisited : apologia for internal evidence in Kiswahili. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2011. ISBN 9783896457073.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) Matrix Nominal Phrases in Kiswahili Bantu. A Study of their Effects on Argument Syntax. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2009. ISBN 9783896455505.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2007) Semantic assigment rules in Bantu classes. A renalysis based on Kiswahili. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2007. ISBN 9783896457035.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2006) Pronouns and Pronominalizations in Kiswahili Grammar. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 2006. ISBN 3896455435.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Reflexives and Reflexivization in Kiswahili Grammar. 2004. ISBN 389645028X.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2001) Argument and Predicate Relations in Kiswahili A New Analysis of Transitiveness in Bantu. 2001. ISBN 3-89645-042-5. Grammatische Analysen Afrikanischer Sprachen.
Academic monograph
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1997) Classes in Kiswahili : a study of their forms and implications. 1997. ISBN 3-89645-022-0.
Non-fiction book
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (1997) Classes in Kiswahili. A Study of their Forms and Implications. 1997. ISBN 3-89645-022-0. East African Languages and Dialects.
Academic monograph

Part of book/report

Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2011) African language teaching and research with emphasis on Swahili. North-South Contributions to African Languages.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2009) The role of Islam in the political and social perceptions of the Waswahili of Lamu. Knowledge, Renewal and Religion. Repositioning and changing ideological and material circumstances among the Swahili of the East African Coast.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2004) Political Poetry among the Swahili: The Kimondo Verses from Lamu. Swahili Modernities: Culture, Politics, and Identity on the East Coast of Africa.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Amidu, Assibi Apatewon. (2003) Conflict between tradition and social change. A case study in Kenya. Cultural studies: Themes and perspectives. Essays in culture, folklore, linguistics, aesthetics and literay criticism.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Media