The Making of a Mixed Language

The Mbugu (or Ma'á) language (Tanzania) is one of the few genuine mixed languages, reputedly combining Bantu grammar with Cushitic vocabulary. In fact the people speak two languages: one mixed and one closely related to the Bantu language Pare. This book is the first comprehensive description of these languages. It shows that these two languages share one grammar while their lexicon is parallel. In the distant past the people shifted from a Cushitic to a Bantu language and in the process rebuilt a language of their own that expresses their separate ethnic identity in a Bantu environment. This linguistic history is explained in the context of the intricate history of the people. The discussion of the processes that were involved in the formation of Ma'a/Mbugu is extremely relevant for both creole studies and for contact linguistics in general.

Sarah Thomason, University of Michigan:
This book is a valuable contribution, as it contains by far the most comprehensive descriptive analysis of a fascinating language. Mous is a genuine authority on the language; the book will surely become the standard source. The status and history of this language are highly controversial in language contact studies, so that the availability of a richly documented grammar will be welcomed by many researchers (as well as by specialists in Bantu and other languages of that part of East Africa). The book has no competitors, and it is a 'must-read' for anyone interested in mixed languages. Scholarly interest in language contact has been booming for some years now, and mixed languages have proved especially intriguing.