Yuning Shen’s study deals with transitivity and verb valency in Kiswahili using a corpus-based approach. The author relates the methods used and results with previous studies dealing with the same topic, namely Whiteley (1968), Abdulaziz (1996) and Olejarnik (2005). He uses the meta-function-rank-matrix (MF/R) from Chinese to point out the fallacy of adopting such a matrix from one language and imposing it on another. Using the parts of speech annotation TreeTagger (Schmid 1994, 1995) to examine previous verb classifications, the author discusses the divergent use of concepts such as verb radicals, verb stems and verb bases as used in different theoretical approaches. / Kitabu hiki cha Yuning Shen kinahusu uelekezi na mpangilio wa vitenzi katika lugha ya Kiswahili kwa kutumia mkabala wenye msingi wa kopasi ya kiisimu. Mwandishi anazihusisha mbinu zilizotumika na matokeo yake na kazi za utafiti zilizotangulia zilizoshughulikia mada hiyo yaani Whiteley (1968), Abdulaziz (1996), na Olejarnik (2005). Shen anatumia mkabala wa mpangilio wa viwango tofauti vya matumizi ya lugha (meta-function-rank-matrix, MF/R) iliyotumika kwa utafiti wa lugha ya Kichina kwa ajili ya kuonesha udhaifu wa mkabala huo kwani unaiga mfumo unaofanya kazi katika lugha moja na kuutumia kwa lugha nyingine bila kuzingatia kuwa lugha ni tofauti. Kwa kutumia njia ya matawi ya kutenganisha vipashio vya maneno (TreeTagger) iliyobuniwa na Schmid (1994, 1995) kwa lengo la kuchunguza njia za awali za kuainisha vitenzi, mwandishi anayajadili matumizi yanayotofautiana ya dhana mbalimbali kama vile viini vya vitenzi, mashina ya vitenzi, na mizizi ya vitenzi jinsi ambavyo zimetumika katika mikabala mbalimbali ya kinadharia.

Review

book review of Xavier Garnier''s "The Swahili novel. The notion of \''minor literature'' put to the test" (2006)

Book review of the biography "Mfinyanzi Aingia Kasri – Siti Binti Saad, Malkia wa Taarab", written by Nasra Mohammed Hilal (2007)

Book review: In 2004 the long awaited second edition of the Standard Swahili - Swahili Dictionary, edited by the Insitute of Kiswahili Research (TUKI) at the University of Dar es Salaam, appeared. With this publication TUKI has once again confirmed its leading role in the field of Swahili lexicography in East Africa. it is up to date, containing new words and phrases which are in use in East Africa in order to cope with the development in science and technology, society, economics and globalization.