Jeffrey Heath (linguist)
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Heath is Professor of Historical Linguistics
, Morphology
, Arabic and Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Michigan
, USA. He is known particularly for his work in historical linguistics and for his extensive fieldwork.
He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Harvard College
in 1971, the M.A. from the University of Chicago
in 1973, and his Ph.D. from the same institution in 1976.
From 1973 to 1977 he was a Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. From 1977 to 1982 he was Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Harvard, from 1982-1985, Associate Professor. In 1987 he moved to the University of Michigan as Visiting Associate Professor. He has held the rank of Professor since 1989.
His research is based on more than ten years of fieldwork: first on Australian languages (1970s), then on Muslim and Jewish
vernaculars of Maghrebi Arabic (1980s), and since 1990 on languages of Mali
in West Africa
: Tamashek (Tuareg, Berber
family), five Songhay languages
, and since 2004 several of Dogon languages
(with Stefan Elders) including Jamsay.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, Morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
, Arabic and Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, USA. He is known particularly for his work in historical linguistics and for his extensive fieldwork.
He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1971, the M.A. from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1973, and his Ph.D. from the same institution in 1976.
From 1973 to 1977 he was a Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. From 1977 to 1982 he was Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Harvard, from 1982-1985, Associate Professor. In 1987 he moved to the University of Michigan as Visiting Associate Professor. He has held the rank of Professor since 1989.
His research is based on more than ten years of fieldwork: first on Australian languages (1970s), then on Muslim and Jewish
Jewish languages
Jewish languages are the various languages and dialects that developed in Jewish communities around the world.Although Hebrew was the daily speech of the Jewish people for centuries, by the fifth century BCE, the closely related Aramaic joined Hebrew as the spoken language in Judea and by the third...
vernaculars of Maghrebi Arabic (1980s), and since 1990 on languages of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
: Tamashek (Tuareg, Berber
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
family), five Songhay languages
Songhay languages
The Songhay, Songhai, or Songai languages are a group of closely related languages/dialects centered on the middle stretches of the Niger River in the west African states of Mali, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. They have been widely used as a lingua franca in that region ever since the...
, and since 2004 several of Dogon languages
Dogon languages
The Dogon languages are spoken by the Dogon of Mali. There are about 600,000 speakers of a dozen languages. They are tonal languages, most like Dogul having two tones, some like Donno So having three....
(with Stefan Elders) including Jamsay.
Publications
- Linguistic Diffusion in Arnhem Land. Canberra: AIAS, pp. 146, 1978.
- Ngandi Grammar, Texts, and Dictionary. Canberra: AIAS, pp. 297, 1978.
- Basic Materials in Ritharngu: Grammar, Texts, and Dictionary. Pacific Linguistics B-62. Canberra: Australian National University, pp. 249, 1980.
- Basic Materials in Warndarang: Grammar, Texts, and Dictionary. Pacific Linguistics, C-60. Canberra: Australian National University, pp. 174, 1980.
- Nunggubuyu Myths and Ethnographic Texts. Canberra: AIAS, pp. 556, 1980.
- Dhuwal (Arnhem Land) Texts on Kinship and Other Subjects, with Grammatical Sketch andDictionary. Oceana Linguistic Monographs, 23. Sydney: University of Sydney, pp. 241, 1980
- Basic Materials in Mara: Grammar, Texts, and Dictionary. Pacific Linguistics C-60. Canberra: Australian National University, pp. 522, 1981.
- Nunggubuyu Dictionary. Canberra: AIAS, pp. 399, 1982
- Functional Grammar of Nunggubuyu. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, pp. 664, 1984.
- Ablaut and Ambiguity: Phonology of a Moroccan Arabic Dialect. Albany: State University of New York Press, pp. 366, 1987.
- Texts in Koroboro Senni, Songhay of Gao, Mali. (Wortkunst und Dokumentartexte in afrikanischen Sprachen, 6) Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, pp. viii, 283, 1988 (facing English translations; material from Gao and Bamba).
- From Code-Switching to Borrowing: A Case Study of Moroccan Arabic. (Library of Arabic Linguistics, 9) London and New York: Kegan Paul International, pp. 328, 1989.
- Dictionnaire Songhay-Anglais-Français. Paris: l'Harmattan. Vol. 1: Koyra Chiini, pp. 264. Vol. 2: Djenne Chiini, pp. 202. vol. 3: Koroboro Senni, pp. 344. 1998.
- Texts in Koyra Chiini, Songhay of Timbuktu, Mali. (Wortkunst und Dokumentartexte in afrikanischen Sprachen, 5) Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, pp. 389, 1998 (facing English translations; material from Gao and Bamba).
- A Grammar of Koyra Chiini, the Songhay of Timbuktu. (Mouton Grammar Library.) Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. xv, 453, 1998.
- Grammar of Koyraboro (Koroboro) Senni, the Songhay of Gao. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, pp. 403, 1999.
- Jewish and Muslim Dialects of Moroccan Arabic. London: Curzon, pp. 559, 2002.
- Hassaniya Arabic (Mali) Poetic and Ethnographic Texts. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 207, 2003.
- Hassaniya Arabic (Mali) - French - English Dictionary. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 338, 2004.
- Tondi Songway Kiini (montane Songhay, Mali): Reference grammar and TSK-English-French Dictionary. CSLI [distributed by University of Chicago Press], pp. 440, 2005.
- A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali). ((Mouton Grammar Library.) Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 745, 2005.
- Tamashek Texts from Timbuktu and Kidal. (Berber Linguistics Series.) Cologne: Koeppe Verlag, pp. 164, 2005.
- Dictionnaire tamachek - anglais - francais. Paris: Karthala, pp. 848, 2006.
- A Grammar of Jamsay. (Mouton Grammar Library.) Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 735, 2008.