The lexicostatistical base of Bennett & Sterks reclassification of Niger-Congo with particular reference to the cohesion of Bantu

Authors

  • Thilo C. Schadeberg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/sal.v17i1.107497

Keywords:

Niger-Congo, classification, lexicostatistics

Abstract

In 1977, Bennett and Sterk published a reclassification of the Niger-Congo languages which has been highly influential. In this paper I try to discover their lexicostatistic method (section 1), then use their published data to do a conventional lexicostatistic subgrouping (section 2), and finally look at their evidence for denying the genetic unity of Narrow Bantu (section 3).

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Published

1986-04-01