Dr Serge Sagna

PhD Student 2003-2008

Serge Sagna started his university studies as an English language student in Gaston Berger University of Saint Louis in Senegal. He finished his BA in English linguistics with distinction in 2001 and moved to Paris 7 University (Denis Diderot) where he completed an MA in English linguistics. In 2002 he shifted to African Linguistic studies at INALCO (Institut des Langues et Civilisations Orientales).

He was awarded a research student scholarship in Field Linguistics as part of the Endangered Languages Academic Programme (ELAP) at SOAS, in August 2003. In March 2008, Serge completed his PhD entitled “Formal and semantic properties of the Gújjolaay Eegimaa (A.k.a Banjal) nominal classification system”.

Serge is currently an ELPD funded postdoctoral fellow at The University of Manchester, working on the documentation of his first language, Gújjolaay Eegimaa spoken in Casamance, Southern Senegal. His research interests include linguistic fieldwork methodology, nominal classification (esp. noun class semantics), language endangerment, language documentation and anthropological linguistics.

Serge is particularly interested in the Atlantic languages of the BAK group (Niger-Congo) of Casamance (and also Guinea Bissau), in particular the undocumented languages which are being displaced by Wolof and French.

See also http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/subjects/lel/staff/SergeSagna/