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Linguistic Contribution to the History of Sub-Saharan Africa

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France  Anglais  Last update : 02/07/2014     

Jean-Marie HOMBERT

Founding member

 

jeanmarie.hombert@gmail.com

Teams :       DiLiS 


  Training and professional background
  Research interests
  Scientific activities
  Teaching
  Other international activities
  Main publications and conferences

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND


 

SITUATION PROFESSIONNELLE

  • Directeur de Recherche, CNRS depuis 2005
  • Professeur de linguistique à l'Université Lumière Lyon 2, 1980-2004
  • Professeur de linguistique , Université de Californie, Santa-Barbara, USA, 1977-1980
  • Post-Doc, Université de Californie, Los Angeles, USA, 1975-1977
  • Teaching Assistant, Université de Californie, Berkeley, USA, 1975

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS


 

Origin and evolution of Language and languages

 

Cognitive aspects of linguistic change

 

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES


 

Conférence "Origine et diffusion du langage humain", Université du Luxembourg, 7 avril 2014

 

TEACHING


 

Séminaire "Populations and Languages", Ecole d'été, Montréal, Juin 2010

 

"Prehistory of Languages", Linguistic Society of America, Berkeley, Juillet 2009

 

EHESS Seminar "Histoire de l'Homme et de ses langues", First and Third Tuesday from 3 to 6 pm salle Maurice et Denys Lombard, 96 bd Raspail 75006 Paris.

 

OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES


 

Expert pour l'évaluation des "Starting Grants" de l'European Research Council ("Human Mind and its Complexity") et du programme "Strategy"

 

DIPLOMAS

  • 1984 - "Thèse d'Etat" in Linguistics, Université de Provence
  • 1975 - Ph-D in Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley
  • 1972 - Master of Engineering in Computer Science, INSA, Lyon

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

  • Research Director, CNRS since 2005
  • Professor of Linguistics, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 1980-2004
  • Professor of Linguistics , University of California, Santa-Barbara, USA, 1977-1980
  • Post-Doc, University of California, Los Angeles, USA, 1975-1977
  • Teaching Assistant, Univeristy of California, Berkeley, USA, 1975

RESPONSABILITIES

  • Head of South East Region, CNRS, 2004-2005
  • Head of Humanities and Social Sciences Department,CNRS, 2002-2004
  • French Representative in the Humanities Committee, European Science Foundation, 2002-2004
  • French Represnetative for the European program EUROCORES "The Origin of Man, Language and Languages", 2002-2004
  • Member of the scientific council INALCO, 1999-2001
  • Member of the National Committee for the Development of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1998-2001
  • Chairman of the board, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-St Cloud, 1998-2001
  • Member of the National Committee for Scientific Research (section 34), 1996-2001
  • Coordinator of the ARASSH (Agence Rhône-Alpes des Sciences Sociales et Humaines), 1996-2000 (with François d'Arcy)
  • Head of "Dynamique du Langage" Laboratory (UMR 5596, CNRS and Université Lumière Lyon 2), 1994-2004
  • Vice-president in charge of research and the documentary policy of the Univeristé Lumière Lyon 2, 1991-1996
  • Member of the Scientific Council of the Université Lumière Lyon 2, 1989-2004

OTHER ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

  • Président of Editorial Committee of CNRS Editions (2002-2004)
  • Reviewer for "Language", "Journal of African Languages and Linguistics" and "Journal of Phonetics"
  • Evaluations for "National Science Foundation", "National Institute of Health", "National Institute of Mental Health", "ANR", "European Research Council"

MAIN PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES
SHOW LONG VERSION / SHORT VERSION


Books
 

Hombert, J.M. & Lenclud, G., 2014, "Comment le langage est venu à l'Homme"/1, Paris, Fayard, 560 p., Histoire de la pensée  (Couverture)


 

Idiata, D.F., Ratanga Atoz, A. & Hombert, J.M., 2013, "Atlas des langues du Gabon", Editions du CENAREST, Editions du CENAREST, 434 p., 9782356650696


PhDs and master thesis
 

Hombert, J.M., 1984, "Phonétique expérimentale et diachronie: application à la tonogénèse", Thèse d'Etat, .Linguistique, Université de Provence


 

Hombert, J.M., 1975, "Towards a theory of tonogenesis: An empirical, physiologically and perceptually-based account of the development of tonal contrasts in language", Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Berkeley


Edited books
 

d'Errico, F. & Hombert, J.M. (eds), 2009, "Becoming Eloquent", John Benjamins


 

Hombert, J.M. & Perrois, L. (eds), 2007, "Coeur d'Afrique. Gorilles, cannibales et pygmées dans le Gabon de Paul Du Chaillu", Paris, CNRS Editions  (Couverture)


 

Hombert, J.M. (ed), 2005, "Aux origines des langues et du langage", Fayard, 514 p.  (Couverture)


 

Hombert, J.M. & Hyman, L. (eds), 1999, "Bantu Historical Linguistics, Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives", CSLI Publications


Chapters in books
 

Hombert, J.M. & Grollemund, R., 2018, "Phylogenetic Classification of Grassfields Languages", in Revealing structure: Finding patterns in grammars and using grammatical patterns to elucidate language. A Festschrift to honor Larry M. Hyman, Buckley, G., Crane, T. & Good, J. (eds), Stanford, California, CSLI Publications, pp. 85-103


 

Coupé, C., Hombert, J.M., Marsico, E. & Pellegrino, F., 2013, "Investigations into Determinants of the Diversity of the World’s Languages. ", in East Flows the Great River: Festschrift in Honor of Prof. William S-Y. Wang on his 80th Birthday, Shi, F. & Peng, G. (eds), Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong Press, pp. 75-108  (paper)


 

Grollemund, R. & Hombert, J.M., 2012, "Use of Plant Names for the Classification of the Bantu Languages of Gabon", in Selected Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Connell, B. & Rolle, N. (eds), Somerville, MA, Cascadilla Proceedings Project, pp. 150-163 (pdf)


 

Coupé, C. & Hombert, J.M., 2005, "Les premières traversées maritimes : Une fenêtre sur les cultures et les langues de la préhistoire ", in Aux origines des langues et du langage, Hombert, J.M. (ed), Paris, Fayard, pp. 118-161  (chapter)


 

Quintana-Murci, L. & Hombert, J.M., 2005, "Gènes et Langues : une évolution parallèle", in Aux Origines des langues et du langage, Hombert, J.M. (ed), Paris, Fayard, pp. 308-327  (Pdf)


 

Coupé, C. & Hombert, J.M., 2005, "Polygenesis of linguistic strategies: a scenario for the emergence of language", in Language Acquisition, Change and Emergence: essays in evolutionary linguistics, Minett, J. & Wang, W.S. (eds), Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong Press, pp. 153-201


 

Li, C. & Hombert, J.M., 2002, "On the evolutionary origin of language ", in Mirror Neurons and the evolution of Brain and Language, Stamenov, M. & Gallese, V. (eds), John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 175-205  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1989, "Tonper: un test de perception pour langues tonales", in Mélanges de phonétique générale et expérimentale offerts à Péla Simon, Institut de Phonétique de Starsbourg, .. (ed), 2 volumes  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1986, "Word games: their phonological implications", in Experimental Phonology, Ohala, J. & Yaeger, J. (eds), Academic Press, pp. 175-186  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1986, "Development of nasalized vowels in the Teke language group", in The Phonological Representation of Suprasegmentals, Bogers et al, K. (ed), Dordrecht, Foris Publications, pp. 359-379  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1980, "Noun classes of the Beboid Languages", in Noun classes in the Grassfield Bantu borderland, Hyman, L. (ed), Southern California Occasional Papers in Linguistics 8, pp. 83-98  (pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1980, "Le groupe noun", in l'Expansion bantoue, Hyman, L. & Voorhoeve, J. (eds), Viviers, Actes du Colloque International du CNRS, pp. 143-163  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1978, "Consonant types, vowel quality, and tone", in Tone: A linguistic survey, Fromkin, V. (ed), New York, Academic Press, pp. 77-111


 

Hombert, J.M., 1976, "Noun classes and tone in Ngie", in Studies in Bantu Tonology, Hyman, L. (ed), University of Southern California Occasional Papers in Linguistics 3, pp. 3-21  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1975, "The perception of contour tones", in Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistic Society, Cogen, C. (ed), Berkeley Linguistic Society, pp. 221-232  (Pdf)


Journals
 

Lopez, M., Choin, J., Sikora, M., Siddle, K., Harmant, C., Costa, H., Silvert, M., Mouguiama-Daouda, P., Hombert, J.M., Froment, A., LeBomin, S., Perry, G., Barreiro, L., Bustamante, C., Verdu, P., Patin, E. & Quintana-Murci, L., 2019, "Genomic Evidence for Local Adaptation of Hunter-Gatherers to the African Rainforest", Current Biology , 29, pp. 1-10


 

Lopez, M., Kousathanas, A., Quach, H., Harmant, C., Mouguiama-Daouda, P., Hombert, J.M., Froment, A., Perry, G., Barreiro, L., Verdu, P., Patin, E. & Quintana-Murci, L., 2018, "The demographic history and mutational load of African hunter-gatherers and farmers", Nature ecology & evolution , 2(4), pp. 721-730


 

Patin, E., Lopez, M., Grollemund, R., Verdu, P., Harmant, C., Quach, H., Laval, G., Perry, G., Barreiro, L., Froment, A., Heyer, E., Massougbodji, A., Fortes-Lima, C., Migot-Nabias, F., Bellis, G., Dugoujon, J.M., Pereira, J., Fernandes, V., Pereira, L., Van der Veen, L., Mouguiama-Daouda, P., Bustamante, C., Hombert, J.M. & Quintana-Murci, L., 2017, "Dispersals and genetic adaptation of Bantu-speaking populations in Africa and North America ", Science, 356:6337, pp. 543-546


 

Bostoen, K., Clist, B., Doumenge, C., Grollemund, R., Hombert, J.M., Koni Muluwa, J. & Maley, J., 2015, "Middle to Late Holocene Palaeoclimatic Change and the Early Bantu Expansion in the Rain Forests of West Central-Africa", Current Anthropology, 56:3, pp. 354-384


 

Patin, E., Siddle, K., Laval, G., Quach, H., Harmant, C., Becker, N., Froment, A., Régnault, B., Lemée, L., Gravel, S., Hombert, J.M., Van der Veen, L., Dominy, N., Perry, G., Barreiro, L., Verdu, P., Heyer, E. & Quintana-Murci, L., 2014, "The impact of agricultural emergence on the genetic history of African rainforest hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists", Nature communications, 5, pp. [doi:10.1038/ncomms4163]


 

Verdu, P., Becker, N., Froment, A., Georges, M., Grugni, V., Quintana-Murci, L., Hombert, J.M., Van der Veen, L., Le Bomin, S., Bahuchet, S., Heyer, E. & Austerlitz, F., 2013, "Sociocultural Behavior, Sex-Biased Admixture, and Effective Population Sizes in Central African Pygmies and Non-Pygmies", Molecular Biology and Evolution, 30:4, pp. 918-937


 

Berniell-Lee, G., Calafell, F., Bosch, E., Heyer, E., Bertranpetit, J., Van der Veen, L., Hombert, J.M., Quintana-Murci, L. & Comas, D., 2009, "Genetic and demographic implications of the Bantu expansion: insights from human paternal lineages", Molecular Biology and Evolution, 26:7, pp. 1581-1589


 

Patin, E., Laval, G., Barreiro, L., Salas, A., Semino, O., Santachiara-Benerecetti, S., Kidd, K., Kidd, J., Gessain, A., Van der Veen, L., Hombert, J.M., Froment, A., Heyer, E. & Quintana-Murci, L., 2009, "Inferring the Demographic History of African Farmers and Pygmy Hunter–Gatherers Using a Multilocus Resequencing Data Set", PLoS Genet, 5:4 : e1000448. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000448


 

Verdu, P., Austerlitz, F., Estoup, A., Vitalis, R., Georges, M., Théry, S., Froment, A., Lebomin, S., Gessain, A., Hombert, J.M., Van der Veen, L., Quintana-Murci, L., Bahuchet, S. & Heyer, E., 2009, "Origins and Genetic Diversity in Pygmy Hunter-Gatherers from Western Central Africa", Current Biology, 19:4, pp. 312-318 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.12.049


 

Quintana-Murci, L., Quach, H., Harmant, C., Luca, F., Massonnet, B., Patin, E., Sica, L., Mouguiama-Daouda, P., Comas, D., Tzur, S., Balanovsky, O., Kidd, K., Kidd, J., Van der Veen, L., Hombert, J.M., Gessain, A., Verdu, P., Froment, A., Bahuchet, S., Heyer, E., Dausset, J., Salas, A. & Behar, D., 2008, "Maternal traces of deep common ancestry and asymmetric gene flow between Pygmy hunter-gatherers and Bantu-speaking farmers", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS), 105:5, pp. 1596-1601  (PDF)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1992, "Terminologie des odeurs dans quelques langues du Gabon", Pholia, 7, pp. 61-66  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1990, "Les langues du Gabon: Etat des connaissances", Revue gabonaise des Sciences de l'homme, 2, pp. 29-36  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1990, "Atlas linguistique du Gabon", Revue gabonaise des Sciences de l'homme, 2, pp. 37-42  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., Manfoumbi, M. & Mbongo, J.L., 1989, "Notes sur la phonologie diachronique du saké", Pholia, 4, pp. 149-156  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., Medjo Mvé, P. & Nguéma, R., 1989, "Les Fangs sont-ils bantu?", Pholia, 4, pp. 133-147  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M. & Mouélé, M., 1988, "Eléments de phonologie diachronique du wanzi (langue bantu du Gabon - groupe B 50)", Pholia, 3, pp. 183-205  (Pdf)


 

Louali, N. & Hombert, J.M., 1988, "Contribution à l'étude de l'évolution des occlusives dentales du proto-berbère", Pholia, 3, pp. 213-225  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1987, "Phonetic conditioning for the development of nasalization in teke", Pholia, 2, pp. 85-94  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M. & Mortier, A.M., 1984, "Bibliographie des langues du Gabon", Pholia, 1, pp. 165-188  (pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., Ohala, J. & Ewan, W., 1979, "Phonetic explanations for the development of tones", Language, 55, pp. 37-58  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1977, "Consonant types, vowel height and tone in Yoruba", Studies in African Linguistics, 82, pp. 173-198  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1977, "Development of tones from vowel height", Journal of Phonetics, 5, pp. 9-16  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1976, "Perception of tones of bisyllabic nouns in Yoruba", Studies in African Linguistics, sup. 6, pp. 109-121


 

Hombert, J.M., 1975, "The Perception of contour tones", Berkeley Linguistic Society , 1, pp. 22-32


 

Hombert, J.M., 1974, "Universals of downdrift: their phonetic basis and significance for a theory of tone", Studies in African Linguistics, sup. 5, pp. 169-183  (Pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M., 1973, "Speaking backwards in Bakwiri", Studies in African Linguistics , 4, pp. 27-35  (Pdf)


Conferences with proceedings
 

Hombert, J.M., 2016, "Anciennes questions et nouvelles réponses sur l’origine et la diffusion du langage ", proc. of Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Paris, Mars 2016 (vidéo)


 

Hombert, J.M. & Philippson, G., 2009, "The Linguistic Importance of Language Isolates: The African Case", proc. of Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory 2, London, United Kingdom, November 13-14, 2009, Austin, P., Bond, O., Charette , M., Nathan, D. & Sells, P. (eds), University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, pp. 145-151


 

Hombert, J.M., 2008, "Continuity between non-human primates and modern humans"Proceedings of the 7th International Conference Evolang, Barcelone, 12-15 March 2008, Smith, A., Smith, K. & Ramon, F. (eds), World Scientific Publishing Company, pp. 441-2, Evolang  (pdf)


 

Hombert, J.M. & Ohala, J., 1982, "Historical development of tone patterns", proc. of Papers from the 3rd International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Amsterdam, ., Maher et al, J.P. (ed), John Benjamins , pp. 75-84  (Pdf)


Invited and keynote conferences
 

Hombert, J.M., 2010, "Language isolates and linguistic diversity: A case for a mosaic approach to language emergence ", proc. of Berkeley Linguistic Society, Berkeley, CA, United States, February 14-16, 2009


Conference presentations
 

Grollemund, R., Branford, S., Hombert, J.M. & Pagel, M., 2016, "Genetic unity of the Niger-Congo family", Towards Proto-Niger Congo: Comparison and Reconstruction (2nd International Congress), Paris, Sept 1-3


 

Grollemund, R., Branford, S., Field, S., Hombert, J.M. & Pagel, M., 2015, "Towards a new phylogeny of Niger-Congo languages", World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL 8), Kyoto, Japan, 21-24 August 2015


 

Bostoen, K., Clist, B., Doumenge, C., Hombert, J.M., Grollemund, R., Koni Muluwa, J. & Maley, J., 2013, "Impact of Late Holocene palaeoclimatic changes on the Bantu expansion: A multidisciplinary view", 5th International Conference on Bantu Languages (Bantu 5), Paris, June 12-15, 2013


 

Grollemund, R. & Hombert, J.M., 2012, "Linguistic Classification and population movements in the North Western part of the Equatorial forest", Colloque ‘The impact of a major environmental crisis on species, populations and communities: the fragmentation of African forests at the end of the Holocene’, Académie des Sciences, Paris, 1-2 mars 2012


 

Coupé, C. & Hombert, J.M., 2012, "Impact of climatic and ecological contexts on sociolinguistic factors among Bantu populations.", The impact of a major environmental crisis on species, populations and communities: the fragmentation of African forests at the end of the Holocene., Académie des Sciences, Paris, 1-2 March (poster)  (poster, abstract)


 

Hombert, J.M., 2010, "Les langues du Gabon", sorosoro, Paris, 2010 (vidéo)


Magazines paper
 

Hombert, J.M. & Mondot, J.F., 2010, "Un projet tel qu'une traversée maritime ne pouvait aboutir sans langage", T02281/118, Les Cahiers de Science et Vie, pp. 16-18


 

Hombert, J.M., 2009, "La diversité culturelle de l'Afrique est menacée", 429, La Recherche, pp. 36-39  (pdf)


Movie or radio
 

Hombert, J.M. & Dury, C., 2016, ""Jean-Marie Hombert, en images et sons" réalisé par Christian Dury", 10mn (vidéo)


 

Hombert, J.M., 2009, "Collecte de données linguistiques sur l'Akele des Lacs et le Punu en collaboration avec Luc-Henri Fage (http://www.youtube.com/sorosorotv) ", Gabon, 30h (punu, Akele )


 

Fage, L.H., Hombert, J.M. & Perrois, L., 2007, "Sur les Traces de Paul Du Chaillu", France, 63 minutes (site du film)


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