Norbert Cyffer

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Norbert Cyffer (born May 16, 1943 in Dortmund ) is a German-Austrian Africa linguist and professor emeritus for African Studies at the University of Vienna . He is the author and (co-) editor of numerous publications in the field of analysis and documentation of African languages . In addition to general questions of morphology and syntax , the areas of language contact and sociolinguistics were in the foreground of his scientific research. Studies of the language typology were added later. In addition, applied linguistics is an important focus.

Life

Cyffer studied from 1965 to 1973 at the University of Hamburg . His subjects were African Studies, General Linguistics and Ethnology . He carried out two field researches totaling two years in northeastern Nigeria to record the data for the dissertation. In 1974 he received his doctorate with the dissertation topic "Syntax des Kanuri". From 1974 to 1981 he taught and researched in Nigeria at the Ahmadu Bello University (Zaria, Kano) and the University of Maiduguri. After finishing his work in Nigeria in 1982 he was professor at the University of Mainz . In 1994 he was appointed full professor at the University of Vienna. There he retired in 2011. The close contacts to Nigerian linguists have been maintained, e. B. through mutual visits as visiting professors. Cyffer has been President of the Austrian-Nigerian Friendship Society since 2012.

Teaching and Research

After completing his doctorate in 1974, Cyffer accepted an offer from Ahmadu Bello University to take up a research position on the Kanuri language at the Center for the Study of Nigerian Languages . A short time later, the Nigerian government formulated a new language policy , which should enable the use of Nigerian languages ​​in school lessons. After a move (1977) to the newly founded University of Maiduguri, the Kanuri language was also included in the curriculum. It was therefore obvious that questions of applied linguistics were paramount. Language planning activities were in the foreground ( orthography , dictionary, terminology for the subjects, textbooks, teacher training).

After returning to Germany, Cyffer was a professor at the University of Mainz until 1994. With the support of the German Academic Exchange Service and the German Research Foundation , the scientific collaboration with the University of Maiduguri was continued and expanded. In 1994 he was offered a professorship at the University of Vienna. Until his retirement in 2012 he taught African linguistics and continued the cooperation with the University of Maiduguri, supported by the Fund for the Promotion of Scientific Research (FWF). Research on language contact and language typology was added to the scientific focal points.

Visiting professorships: Cyffer has been visiting professor at the Universities of Nice (France), Prague (Czech Republic) and Maiduguri (Nigeria) over the past few decades.

honors and awards

Norbert Cyffer was given the traditional title Shettima in 2004 by the traditional leader of the Emirate of Borno , the Shehu of Borno. In 2013 he received the Educational Cooperation Award from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Publications

  • Cyffer, Norbert, & John P. Hutchison. 1979. The Standard Kanuri Orthography . Lagos: Thomas Nelson.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1989. Language change and idiolectal variation in Kanuri. Günter Holtus and Edgar Radtke (eds.), Linguistic Substandard II . Tübingen: Max Niemeyer. 114-130.
  • Cyffer, Norbert, & John P. Hutchison. 1990. Dictionary of the Kanuri Language . DorDrecht: Foris Publications.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1991. From basic linguistic research to the implementation of a mother-tongue in the Nigerian educational system: The Kanuri example. Norbert Cyffer et al., Language Standardization in Africa . Hamurg: Helmut Buske. 135-144.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1991. We learn Kanuri . Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1994. English-Kanuri Dictionary. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1996. The Saharan Languages: Internal and External Relations. Axel Fleisch and Dirk Otten (eds.), Linguistic and historical research in Africa. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. 103-118.
  • Cyffer, Norbert & Thomas Geider (eds.). 1997. Advances in Kanuri Scholarship . Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 1998. A Sketch of Kanuri . Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 2009. Negation patterns in Kanuri. Norbert Cyffer, Erwin Ebermann and Georg Ziegelmeyer (eds.), Negation Patterns in West African Languages ​​and Beyond. Amsterdam: John Benjamin. 71-92.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 2010. GA, RO and CO. Strategies of complementation and subordination in Kanuri. Georg Ziegelmeyer and Norbert Cyffer (eds.), Aspects of Co- and Subordination. Case Studies from African, Slavonic and Turkic Languages. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. 189-211.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 2011. Are there any primitive languages ​​- or is German also primitive? Thomas Stolz et al. (eds.), Colonial Language Research. The description of African and Oceanic languages ​​at the time of German colonial rule. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. 55-74.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 2017. Plurality and pluractionality in Kanuri. STUF - Language typology and universals research. 70.1: 93-116.
  • Cyffer, Norbert. 2020. Saharan. Rainer Vossen & Gerrit J. Dimmendaal (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of African Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 383-391.

Further publications can be found on Cyffers ResearchGate page.

Web links

Philipp Sandner: Residents 'threatened' by Boko Haram caliphate. Deutsche Welle, August 26, 2014, accessed on April 28, 2020 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ emer. O. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Norbert Cyffer. University of Vienna, February 29, 2020 , accessed on April 28, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b Team University of Vienna. In: University of Vienna. Retrieved April 28, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b Norbert Cyffer: 35 years of research in Nigeria - and still no end. J. Ahamer & G. Lechleitner (eds.), Um-field research. Experiences, experiences, results. Vienna: Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. 267-281. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2007, accessed on April 28, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Cyffer, Norbert. 1974. Syntax of Kanuri: dialect of Yerwa (Maiduguri). Hamburg: H. Buske.
  5. ^ History of African Studies at the Institute. Institute for Ethnology and African Studies Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, May 29, 2018, accessed on April 26, 2020 .
  6. ^ Annual report 2011. In: Institute for African Studies. University of Vienna, accessed on April 28, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Board of Directors. In: Austrian-Nigerian Friendship Society (ÖNFG). Institute for African Studies, University of Vienna, accessed on April 26, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Linguistic innovation and concept change in West Africa. Institute for African Studies, University of Vienna, accessed on April 26, 2020 .
  9. ↑ In the name of grammar. University of Vienna, January 28, 2015, accessed on April 28, 2020 .
  10. ^ Report 2005. In: Institute for African Studies, University of Vienna. 2005, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  11. ^ Gala / Award and Certificate Presentation Night. Nigerian Embassy Vienna, July 9, 2013, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Norbert Cyffer. Research Gate, April 29, 2020, accessed April 28, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Cyffer, Norbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-Austrian Africa linguist and university lecturer
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Dortmund