ABSTRACT
This chapter is devoted to the properties of the augment of Shingazidja, a Bantu language of Comoros (G44a) which has not yet been the subject of a detailed study exploring its different dimensions. The first part of the paper is devoted to the shape of the augment and aspects of its phonology. In this section, a discussion is conducted on the nature of augments that surface with an initial glide (e.g. Class 1 (y)e or Class 2 (w)o) to determine whether the glide is underlying or not. Then, other allomorphic alternations are addressed with a focus on the long allomorphs that characterize Classes 5, 7, and 10 and tonal alternations. The second part of the paper explores the distribution of the augment in the language. It focuses on the combination (or lack) of the augment with other modifiers in the language such as demonstratives or possessives. The section also discusses the role played by the object position as well as pragmatic and discourse factors. Finally, the third part of the chapter discusses the function of the augment in Shingazidja. It is claimed that its main function is to express definiteness rather than referentiality.
