James Essegbey

James Essegbey is a Professor of African Languages and Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the University of Florida (Gainesville), affiliated with the Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, and African American Studies. His research focuses on language endangerment documentation, syntax-semantics interfaces, and West African languages like Ewe, Akan, and Nyangbo. He holds a PhD from Leiden University (1999) and has held postdoctoral fellowships in the Netherlands and Germany.

Key research areas include:

• Documentation of endangered languages (e.g., Nyangbo, Tutrugbu)
• Syntax of Kwa languages and Atlantic creoles
• Cultural influences on linguistic structures (e.g., left-hand taboos in Ghana)
• Creole genesis and trans-Atlantic language contacts

Award-winning scholar with over 20 years of grant-funded projects, including:

• NSF grants for CoLang and documentary linguistics training programs
• NSEP funding for African languages summer institutes
• Leadership in language revitalization initiatives

Teaching includes courses on Akan language, African elements in the Americas, and methods of language documentation. Active in professional organizations like the African Studies Association and Society for Pidgin and Creole Languages.