Gumuz is a Nilo-Saharan dialect cluster spoken in the river valleys of northwestern Ethiopia and the southeastern part of the Republic of the Sudan. There are approximately 200,000 speakers, the majority of which reside in Ethiopia. This study is a phonological and grammatical analysis of two main dialects/languages: Northern Gumuz and Southern Gumuz. The study provides an overview of the Gumuz people and culture, including historical accounts of the language(s) and migration patterns. Most major aspects of the language are described and analyzed in detail: phonology, nouns, pronouns, demonstratives and other noun phrase constituents, verbs and verbal morphology, noun incorporation, verbal classifiers, noun categorization, basic clauses, and subordinate clauses. Northern and Southern Gumuz varieties are contrasted throughout. Gumuz tone has two levels, High and Low, with tonal downstep of High. The tonal melody on bound pronominals on verbs indicates transitivity. Nouns are divided into two basic types: relational and absolute. Relational nouns have an inherent relationship with another nominal element, either within a noun-noun compound or with a (historical) possessive affix. Two sets of relational nouns --attributive and relator nouns-- obligatorily take an inherent possession suffix if not in a compound. Gumuz has two noun-noun constructions: the Associative Construction and the Attributive Construction. The first is left-headed with `noun of noun' semantics. The second is right-headed with the initial noun expressing an inherent quality of the second. Certain body part terms have grammaticalized as a variety of other morphosyntactic categories, in particular as relator nouns, verbal classifiers, and class morphemes, the final two of which are noun categorization devices. Many of these same body part terms can be incorporated into the verb or form part of lexicalized verb-noun compounds. Deverbal nominalizations with /ma-/ are found throughout the language structures. These /ma-/ nominalizations serve as both subject and object complements. They are also commonly found in other subordinate clauses such as relative and adverbial clauses. Purpose clauses are formed with the dative preposition plus a /ma-/ nominalization. Finite purpose clauses take pronominal inflection and have further grammaticalized as future tense main clause verbs in Southern Gumuz.

Cette thèse porte sur la description morpho-syntaxique du nââ numèè, langue de l’extrême-Sud de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, parlée par moins de 1 000 locuteurs dans les tribus de Touaourou et de Goro dans la commune de Yaté et de l’île Ouen dans la commune du Mont-Dore.Dans la première partie, l’auteur aborde les faits sociaux qui ont fait de la région du Grand Sud l’une des plus impactés par les guerres traditionnelles, la colonisation, l’évangélisation, la construction du barrage de Yaté et plus récemment, l’exploitation minière.Dans la deuxième partie, l’auteur procède à l’identification des phonèmes de la langue. Ensuite, il effectue une comparaison entre le système consonantique, vocalique et tonal ainsi établi et celui réalisé par Rivierre dans les années 70. Cette analyse d’écart lui permet de mettre en exergue les évolutions phonologiques subies par la langue en presque quarante ans. Pour définir les différents morphèmes de la langue, l’auteur utilise la méthode traditionnelle dite « distributionnelle ». Il propose ensuite une catégorisation des lexèmes.Dans la troisième partie, l’auteur traite des procédés morphologiques utilisaient en dérivation et en composition.Dans la quatrième partie consacrée à la syntaxe, l’auteur expose le syntagme nominal avec les différents modes et types de détermination. Cette partie comprend également un exposé des substituts du nom, des déictiques et du système numéral. Puis, l’auteur propose une description du syntagme verbal avec en point d’orgue, l’analyse des marqueurs aspecto-temporels et les constructions sérielles. Dans la partie dédiée aux circonstants, l’auteur s’intéresse au système d’orientation développé et les différents cadres référentiels utilisaient (absolus et relatifs).Dans la dernière partie, l’auteur expose les différents types d’énoncés (simples, complexes et marqués). / This thesis deals with the morpho-syntactic description of Nââ Numèè, a language of the far south of New Caledonia, spoken by fewer than 1,000 speakers in the tribes of Touaourou and Goro in the town of Yate and the isle Ouen in the town of Mont-Dore.In the first part, the author explains the social facts which led to the great southern region being one of the most affected by traditional wars, colonization, evangelization, the construction of the dam at Yate and more recently, mining.In the second part, the author will identify the phonemes of the language. Then a comparison will be made between the consonant, vowel and tonal system thus established and made by Rivierre in the 1970s. This gap analysis allows the author to highlight the phonological changes in the language over almost forty years. The author then uses the traditional "distributional" method to define the different morphemes of language before proposing a categorization of lexemes.In the third part, the author deals with morphological processes used in derivation and in composition. In this chapter, it is interesting to see the increased use of verbal classifiers.In the fourth section dealing with syntax, the author offers a description of the nominal phrase with the modes and types of determination. This part also includes a presentation of the nominal substitutes, deictic and numeral systems. Then, the author describes the verbal phrase with special focus on the analysis of the aspect and temporal markers and serial verbs. In the part dedicated to the circonstants, the author focuses on the orientation system developed and the various repositories spaces used (absolute and relative).In the last part, the author exposes the different types of clauses (simple, complex and marked).