Communicative Functions of the Augment in Cigogo

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine different functions of the augment in Cigogo (G11), a Bantu language spoken in central Tanzania. The data  were collected through translational questionnaires, audio-recording of oral texts, and native speakers’ grammaticality judgements of  Cigogo texts. The analysis is guided by Lyons’ (1999) theory of definiteness. The findings establish that the augment performs various  linguistic and communicative roles in Cigogo. These include signalling definiteness, specificity, and anaphoric reference. It is further  established that the augment functions as a topic marker in topicalized constructions. These findings contribute to the typological  literature on the functions of the augment in Bantu languages.