Xinka Lexicography and Morphology

Dissemination of Research Results

The data collected in the project on "Xinka lexicography and morphology" form the basis of my doctoral research which is focussed on preparing an in-depth description of Xinka which includes all available language materials. The complete data and results of the linguistic analysis will, therefore, be disseminated in form of a PhD thesis.

Each of the two campaigns of field research was concluded with a workshop for the COPXIG in order to comply with the agreement of cooperation. The first workshop held in Guatemala City was dedicated to the discussion and decision of an official alphabet for the Xinkan languages. In order to be allowed financial support from the government’s Ministry of Education for the preparation of educational materials which could be used for teaching Xinka culture and "language" to the pupils of primary schools in Santa Rosa, the COPXIG needed to present recent linguistic research as well as an official alphabet that would be used in the preparation of the primer.

The alphabet has been based on the documented data as well as on the phoneme system and phonological rules of Xinka as issued by Campbell (1972:187) and will be published in Revalorización de la cultura xinka a través de la escuela – una guía documental que valora las culturas que conviven en el departamento de Santa Rosa (Dirección Departamental de Educación de Santa Rosa, 2001).

The focus of the second workshop held in Antigua was Xinka morphology and especially the formation of the verb. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, the COPXIG is currently preparing a primer for first year pupils containing a few basic terms in Xinka; some of the findings discussed during the second workshop will be used in this educational material. Independently from the preparation of the thesis, results on the grammatical structure of Xinka will be communicated to the COPXIG.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page