Impersonal in South Cushitic

This talk examines the various functions of the morphemes called 'impersonal' in the South Cushitic languages of Tanzania. Drawing on a rich body of natural language data, first for Iraqw, and then for Burunge, it is shown that impersonal morphemes are involved in a range of grammatical constructions, some of which (but not all) approximate what has been referred to as impersonal in the wider typological literature. The talk closes by comparing and contrasting the functions of the impersonal in Iraqw and Burunge, as well as, following material presented by Griscom 2019, reflecting on how the meanings included in the South Cushitic impersonal match with those described in Southern Nilotic: a language family with which South Cushitic is in contact.Note: This talk has not gone through a process of peer review, and findings should therefore be treated as preliminary and subject to change. Acknowledgement and citation: Mous, Maarten. 2019. Impersonal in South Cushitic. Talk Given at Rift Valley Webinar Series 19/09/2019