Nancy Kula
Professor African Linguistics
- Name
- Prof.dr. N.C. Kula
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2125
- n.c.kula@hum.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0002-8323-2573
Nancy C. Kula is Professor and Chair of African Linguistics. Her research interests focus on a range of topics in African and General Linguistics with a focus on Bantu Languages investigating phonology, morphology, tone and their interfaces. She also works on Language Policy in Africa, specifically on the ways in which multilingualism can be harnessed in classroom instruction.
Fields of interest
African Languages
Bantu Langauges
Phonology
Tone
Morphology
Languauge Policy
Multilingualism
Phonology-synatx interface
Research
I am interested in the way that African Languages and in particular Bantu languages help us understand the diversity and variation in language at a broader level but also at a macro level. I am interested in tonal systems and how they vary and how this prosody interacts with morphology and morphosyntax. Multilingualism in Africa is another area I find intriguing in how it helps us better understand how the linguistic repertoires of multilingual speakers are manipulated for daily communication and how these practices can be drawn on as a resource to navigate global issues such as equitable education and conflict resolution.
Grants and awards
2023 - 2028: Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities of
Practiced Linguistic Diversity (Co-I). Funder: ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)
2023 - 2024: Supporting Multilingualism in Practice: Resource co-creation in primary classrooms in
Tanzania (PI). Funder: British Academy
2021 - 2023: Dialectology in Bantu Languages: Variation in Bemba across phonology and morphosyntax (PI). Funder: British Academy
2019 - 2022: Bringing the outside in: Merging local language and literacy practices to enhance classroom learning and achievement (PI). Funder: British Academy
2012- 2013: A preliminary documentation of Siluyana: Comparing Mbowe and Mwenyi (PI). Funder: Hans Rausing Endangered Language Documentation Programme.
2011- 2012: Tonal change in the evolution of a tense system. Funder: British Academy
2004 -2006 The Phonology-syntax interface in Bantu languages. Funder: VENI project, NWO
Curriculum Vitae
I did my PhD in Leiden in 2002 on the phonology of verbal derivation of a bantu language (Bemba) spoken in Zambia. I held a Veni post-doctoral position at LUCL and SOAS from 2004 to 2006. I joined the University of Essex on a permanent position in 2007 and became Professor in 2016. I rejoined Leiden in February 2024 as Professor and Chair of African Linguistics. You can see more information in my CV.
Professor African Linguistics
- Faculty of Humanities
- Leiden Univ Centre for Linguistics
- LUCL Language & Culture of Africa
- Reilly C., Costley T., Gibson H. & Kula N.C. (2024), The multilingual university: language ideology, hidden policies and language practices in Malawian universities, Language, Culture and Curriculum 37(2): 213-229.
- Reilly C., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Costley T., Mapunda G. & Mwansa J. (2024), Bringing the outside in: attitudes towards multilingual competence in Zambia and Tanzania. In: Mohr S. & Ferrara L. (Eds.), Learning languages, being social: informal language learning and socialization in additional languages: De Gruyter Mouton. 199-229.
- Kula N.C.,Costley T., Gibson H. & Reilly C. (2024), Enbracing multilingualism in the classroom, FuturumCareers : .
- Mapunda G., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C. & Reilly C. (2024), Rethinking language: the need for language supportive pedagogies in teacher training in tanzania, Nordic Journal of African Studies 33(3): 184-202.
- Kula N.C. & Louriz N. (2024), Acquisition in a multilingual context: English mid and low vowel contrasts by native speakers of Tashlhit. In: Korangy A.. & Bensoukas K. (Eds.), The Handbook of Berber Linguistics. Springer Handbooks in Languages and Linguistics. Singapore: Springer. 55-85.
- Kula N.C. (2024), Comparing CJ-DJ discrepancies in Matengo and Bemba, Journal of Swahili and African Studies 35: 51-60.
- Reilly C., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Bagwasi M.M., Dikosha D., Mmolao P., Mwansa J.M., Mwandia M., Mapunda G. & James E. (2023), Emerging principles for researching multilingually in linguistic ethnography: reflections from Botswana, Tanzania, the UK and Zambia [Ukulondolola imisango yakufwailisha ukupitila mu ndimi ishapusanapusana: Amatontonkanyo ukufuma ku Botswana, ku Tanzania, ku UK na ku Zambia] (translation: Reilly C., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Bagwasi M.M., Dikosha D., Mmolao P., Mwansa J.M., Mwandia M., Mapunda G. & James E.), Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 44(8): 689-701.
- Bickmore L.S. & Kula N.C. (2023), Generational tone change in Northern Bemba, Africana Linguistica 29: 3-27.
- Kula N.C. (2023), Why should voiceless aspirates cause depression in Nguni?, Stellenbosch papers in linguistics (SPIL) 67: 43-47.
- Kula N.C. (2023), Domino effects and licensing chains in government licensing: sequential NC clusters in Bantu. In: Breit F., Yoshida Y. & Youngberg C. (Eds.), Elements, government, and licensing: Developments in phonology. London: UCL Press. 197-208.
- Reilly C., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Bagwasi M., Dikosha D., Mmolao P., Mwansa J., Mwandia M., Mapunda G. & James E. (2023), Emerging principles for researching multilingually in linguistic ethnography: reflections from Botswana, Tanzania, the UK and Zambia, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 44(8): 689-701.
- Bickmore L.S. & Kula N.C. (2023), Generational tone change in Northern Bemba, Africana Linguistica 29: 3-27.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2023), Morphosyntactic variation in Bantu: the case of Setswana, Studies in African Linguistics 52: 53-69.
- Kula N.C., Gibson H., Marten L. & Taji J. (2023), Suffix order restrictions in Bantu. In: Ackema P., Bendjaballah S., Bonet E. & Fábregas A. (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell Companion to morphology: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Kula N.C. (2023), Why should voiceless aspirates cause depression in Nguni?, Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus 67(1): 43-47.
- Bickmore L.S. & Kula N.C. (2023), Generational tone change in Northern Bemba, Africana Linguistica 29: 3-27.
- Costley T., Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2022), Translanguaging spaces and multilingual public writing in Zambia: tracing change in the linguistic landscape of Ndola on the Copperbelt, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 44(9): 773-793.
- Kula N.C. Mwansa J. (2022), Learning literacy in a familiar language: comparing reading and comprehension competence in Bemba in two contrasting settings in Northern Zambia, Journal of the British Academy 10: 97-124.
- Costley T., Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2022), Translanguaging spaces and multilingual public writing in Zambia: tracing change in the linguistic landscape of Ndola on the copperbelt, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 44(9): 773-793.
- Reilly C., Bagwasi M.M., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Mapunda G. & Mwansa J (2022), ‘Languages don’t have bones, so you can just break them’: Rethinking multilingualism in education policy and practice in Africa, Journal of the British Academy 10(4): 1-20.
- Kula N.C. & Nasukawa K. (2022), A PfP approach to vowel height harmony and ATR harmony, JSPS 7: 81-95.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2021), Expressing politeness and respect in Bantu Languages: a short comparative survey.
- Hamann S. & Kula N.C. (2021), Phonetic and phonological considerations on the moraic status of pre-NC vowels in Bemba, Stellenbosch papers in linguistics (SPIL) 62(1): 57-74.
- Kula N.C. & Nasuawa K. (2021), Reanalysing "epenthetic" consonants in nasal-consonant sequences: a lexical specification approach. In: Bendjaballah S., Tifrit A. & Voeltzel L. (Eds.), Perspectives on element theory. Studies in Generative Grammar no. 143: De Gruyter.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2021), Expressing politeness and respect in Bantu Languages: a short comparative survey. In: Chebanne A.M. & Lusekelo A. (Eds.), African languages: linguistic, literacy and social issues: a festschrift in honour of Prof. Herman Batibo. Cape Town: CASAS. 67-84.
- Kula N.C. (2020), Developing an areal view of intonation in Eastern Bantu, Journal of Law and Social Sciences 3(1): 1-39.
- Kula N.C. & Syed N. (2020), Non-myopic nasal spreading in Saraiki, Radical: A Journal of Phonology 1: 126-172.
- Reilly C., Bagwasi M., Costley T., Gibson H., Kula N.C., Mapunda G. & Mwansa. J. (2020), Bringing the outside in: merging local language literacy practices to enhance classroom learning and achievement, Babel: The Language Magazine : .
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2019), Vowel copying in Dciriku and Mwenyi: on the interaction between phonology and semantics. In: Banda F. (Ed.), Theoretical and applied aspects of African languages and cultures: Festschrift in Honour of Professor Mildred Nkolola-Wakumelo. Cape Town: Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS). 75-99.
- Liu X. & Kula N.C. (2018), A comparative study of depression in Bantu, Khoisan and Chinese Wu: laryngeal settings and feature specifications, Stellenbosch papers in linguistics (SPIL) 54: 17-43.
- Liu X. & Kula N.C. (2018), A comparative study of depression in Bantu, Khoisan and Chinese Wu: laryngeal settings and feature specifications, Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus 54: 17-43.
- Kula N.C. (2017), Reduction in remoteness distinctions and reconfiguration in the Bemba past tense, Transactions of the Philological Society 115(1): 27-57.
- Scheer T. & Kula N.C. (2017), Government phonology: element theory, conceptual issues and introduction. In: Hannahs S.J. & Bosch A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of phonological theory: Routledge. 226-261.
- Kula N.C. (2017), Reduction in remoteness distinctions and reconfiguration in the Bemba past tense, Transactions of the Philological Society 115(1): 27-57.
- Kula N.C. (2017), The conjoint/disjoint alternation and phonological phrasing in Bemba. In: Wal J. van der & Hyman L.M. (Eds.), The conjoint/disjoint alternation in Bantu. Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs no. 301. Mouton: De Gruyter. 258-294.
- Kula N.C. & Hamann S. (2016), Intonation in Bemba. In: Downing L.J. & Rialland A. (Eds.), Intonation in African tone languages. Phonology and Phonetics no. 24. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. 321-363.
- Kula N.C. & Braun B. (2015), Mental representation of tonal spreading in Bemba: evidence from elicited production and perception, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 33(3): 307-323.
- Kula N.C. Bickmore L.S. (2015), Phrasal phonology in Copperbelt Bemba, Phonology 32(1): 147-176.
- Kula N.C. (2015), A preliminary investigation of Siluyana: comparing Mbowe and Mwenyi. [dataset].
- Kula N.C. & Kadenge M. (2015), Introduction: phonetics and phonology in Bantu, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 33(3): 3-5.
- Kula N.C. & Braun B. (2015), Mental representation of tonal spreading in Bemba: evidence from elicited production and perception, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 33(3): 307-323.
- Kula N.C. & Bickmore L.S. (2015), Phrasal phonology in Copperbelt Bemba, Phonology 32(1): 147-176.
- Hamann S. & Kula N.C. (2015), Bemba, Journal of the International Phonetic Association 45(1): 61-69.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2014), Benefactive and substitutive applicatives in Bemba, Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 35(1): 1-44.
- Lutz M. & Kula N.C. (2014), Benefactive and substitutive applicatives in Bemba, Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 35(1): 1-44.
- Kula N.C. (2013), Nominal compounding and associative phrases in Bemba. In: Brenzinger M. & Fehn A.M. (Eds.), Proceedings, 6th world congress of African Linguistics. Cologne: Köppe. 431-441.
- Kula N.C. (2013), On retaining vowel colour in derived roots: blocked imbrication in Bemba. In: Legère K. (Ed.), Bantu languages and linguistics: papers in memory of Dr Rugatiri D.K Mekacha. Eckersdorf: Pia Thielmann & Eckhard Breitinger.
- Bickmore L.S. & Kula N.C. (2013), Ternary spreading and the OCP in Copperbelt Bemba, Studies in African Linguistics 42(2): 101-132.
- Kula N.C., Botma B. & Kuniya N. (Eds.) (2013), Bloomsbury companion to phonology. London: Bloombury.
- Kula N.C. (2012), Review of: Backley P. (2011), An introduction to element theory. Edinburgh: Edinburgh university press. Phonology 29(2): 337-341.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2012), Object marking and morphosyntactic variation in Bantu, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 30(2): 237-253.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2012), Object marking and morphosyntactic variation in Bantu, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 30(2): 237-253.
- Kula N.C. (2012), On the representation of tone in element theory. In: Cyran E., Kardela H. & Szymanek B. (Eds.), Sound structure and sense: studies in memory of Edmund Gussmann. Lublin: Wynadictwo. 353-367.
- Kula N.C. (2012), The bemba case file: afranaph project. [dataset].
- Delfitto D., Fiorin G. & Kula N.C. (2011), Syntactic gradients in compounding: Bemba associative nominals vs. Italian prepositional and deverbal compounds, Italian Journal of Linguistics / Rivista di Linguistica 23(2): 301-325.
- Basciano B., Kula N.C. & Melloni C. (2011), Modes of compounding in Bantu, Romance and Chinese, Italian Journal of Linguistics 23(2): 203-249.
- Kula N.C. (2011), Revisiting final devoicing in the L2 acquisition of final voicing contrasts. In: Dziubalska-Kolaczyk K., Wrembel M. & Kul M. (Eds.), Achievements and perspectives in SLA of speech: new sounds 2010. Frankfurt: Peter Lang. 149-158.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2011), The prosody of Bemba relative clauses: a case study of the syntax-phonology interface in dynamic syntax. In: Kempson R.M., Gregoromichelaki E. & Howes C. (Eds.), The dynamics of lexical interfaces. Stanford: Center for the study of language and information. 57-86.
- Botma B., Kula N.C. & Nasukawa K. (2011), Features. In: Botma B., Kula N.C. & Nasukawa K. (Eds.), The Bloomsbury companion to phonology. London: Continuum. 33-63.
- Kula N.C., Botma B. & Nasukawa K. (Eds.) (2011), Continuum companion to phonology. London: Continuum.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2010), Argument structure and agency in Bemba passives. In: Legère K. & Thornell C. (Eds.), Bantu languages: analyses, description and theory. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. 115-130.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2010), Argument structure and agency in Bemba passives. In: Legère K. & hornell C. (Eds.), Bantu languages: analyses, description and theory. EALD East African Languages and Dialects no. 20. Cologne: Rudiger Köppe Publications. 115-130.
- Kula N.C. (2009), Review of: Bickmore L.S. (2007), Cilungu phonology. Stanford: University of Chicago press. Lingua 119(3): 502-506.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2009), Defining initial strength in clusterless languages in strict CV. In: Nasukawa K. & Backley P. (Eds.), Strength relations in phonology. Berlin: De Gruyter. 251-284.
- Marten L. & Kula N.C. (2009), Meanings of money: national Identity and the semantics of currency in Zambia and Tanzania, Journal of African Cultural Studies 20(2): 183-198.
- Kula N.C. (2009), Opacity in Bantu: in support of the internal organisation of features. In: Austin P.K., Bond O., Charette M., Nathan D. & Sells P. (Eds.), Proceedings of language documentation and linguistic theory !. London: SOAS. 175-183.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2009), Defining initial strength in clusterless languages in strict CV. In: Nasukawa K. & Backlay P. (Eds.), Strength relations in phonology. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 251-284.
- Colin J.E., Kula N.C. & Hulst H. van der (2008), Jan Kooij (1940-2004), Lingua 118(9): 1249.
- Lutz M. & Kula N.C. (2008), Meanings of money: national identity and the semantics of currency in Zambia and Tanzania, Journal of African Cultural Studies 20(2): 183-198.
- Kula N.C. & Lutz M. (2008), Central, East and Southern African languages. In: Austin P.K., Tilbury N. & Todd M. (Eds.), One thousand languages: living, endangered, and lost. Oakland: University of California press. 86-111.
- Kula N.C. (2008), Derived environment effects: a representational approach, Lingua 118(9): 1328-1343.
- Costa J. & Kula N.C. (2008), Focus at the interface: evidence from romance and bantu. In: Cat C. de & Demuth K. (Eds.), The bantu–romance connection: a comparative investigation of verbal agreement, DPs, and information structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 293-322.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2008), Zambia: 'one Zambia, one nation, many languages’. In: Simpson A. (Ed.), Language and national identity in Africa. Oxford: Oxford university press. 291-313.
- Kula N.C. & Lutz M. (Eds.) (2007), Bantu in Bloomsbury. SOAS Working Papers in Linguistics. London: Department of linguistics of the school of oriental and African studies.
- Kula N.C. (2007), Effects of phonological phrasing on syntactic structure, The Linguistic Review 24(2-3): 201-231.
- Marten L., Kula N.C. & Nhlanhla T. (2007), Parameters of morphosyntactic variation in Bantu, Transactions of the Philological Society 105(3): 253-338.
- Kula N.C. & Cheng L. (2007), Phonological and syntactic phrasing in Bemba relatives, Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 28(2): 123-148.
- Kula N.C. (2006), Lesotho language situation. In: Brown K. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics: Elsevier. 48.
- Kula N.C. (2006), No initial empty CV in clusterless languages, Linguistics in The Netherlands 23(1): 137-149.
- Kula N.C. (2006), On derived environments in GP. In: Doukas T. & Tsakiridou M. (Eds.), SOAS working papers in linguistics no. 14: SOAS. 95-108.
- Kula N.C. (2006), Zambia: language situation. In: Brown K. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language & linguistics: Elsevier. 744-745.
- Kula N.C. (2006), Licensing saturation: co-occurrence restrictions in structure, Linguistic Analysis 32(3-4): 366-406.
- Cheng L.L. & Kula N.C. (2006), Syntactic and phonological phrasing in Bemba relatives, ZAS Papers in Linguistics 43: 31-54.
- Kula N.C. (2005), On licensing constraints for consonants, Leiden Papers in Linguistics 2(4): 51-75.
- Kula N.C. (2004), Domain variability in inflected reduplication, Malawian Journal of Linguistics 2004(4): 45-63.
- Kula N.C. (2003), On the autonomy of the root in Bemba. In: Lébikaza K.K. (Ed.), Actes du 3e congrès mondial de linguistique Africaine: Lomé 2000. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. 21-35.
- Kula N.C. (2002), The phonology of verbal derivation in Bemba. Utrecht: Landelijke onderzoekschool taalwetenschap.
- Kula N.C. (2001), Imbrication in Bemba. In: Smith N. & Weijer J. van de (Eds.), Surface syllable structure and segment sequencing: HIL Occasional Papers no. 4. Leiden: Holland Institute of Generative Linguistics. 102-116.
- Kula N.C. (2000), The phonology-morphology interface: consonant mutations in Bemba, Linguistics in The Netherlands 17(1): 171-183.
- Kula N.C. (2000), The phonology-morphology interface: consonant mutations in Bemba, Linguistics in The Netherlands 17(1): 171-183.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (2000), Constraints and processes: evidence from Bemba, Herero and Swahili, SOAS Working Papers in Linguistics 10: 91-102.
- Kula N.C. (1999), On the representation of NC clusters in Bemba, Linguistics in The Netherlands 16(1): 135-148.
- Kula N.C. & Marten L. (1998), Aspects of nasality in Bemba, SOAS Working Papers in Linguistics 8: 191-208.