Acknowledgements

The following field linguists were responsible for the various experiments: Ginger Boyd (Elip, Mmala, Yangben); Matthew Harley (Yoruba); and David Roberts in collaboration with Prosper Nongnidé (Idaasha), Komi Sena (Ife), Ursula Williams (Nateni), Johannes Merz (Mbelime), Andy Weathers (Tem), and Valentin Vydrin (Eastern Dan).

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who helped organize and administrate the experiments and who participated in the follow-up research: Baboga Achille, Esseba Ombessa Lambert (Elip); Kiolé Frédérick, Bébiyémé Nkomo Raymond (Mmala); Okono Tchopito, Otoke Kibassa Moïse (Yangben); Pelumi Oyeniyi, Femi Abiodun (Yoruba); Adrien Edikou, Michel Houndoté, Innocent Tehoungué, Prosper Nongnidé, André Eteka, Alexis Vegba (Idaasha); Akoété Agbemadon, Komi Sena, Kokou Amouzou, Akoété Amoussou, Patricia Devine (Ife) ; Martin Bondi, Simplice Gnanga, Pascal Koudé, Lambert N’sera, Hilaire N’tcha, Ursula Williams, Esaië Winrikou (Nateni); N. Bienvenue Sambiéni, K. Elisée Taouéma, N. Nestor Kombiéni, D. Bernard Sanhouégoua, N. N. Simon Kombetto, P. K. Philippe Taouéma, Claire N’Tadé (Mbelime); Agrignan Koubonou, Orou-Agouda Aziz, Maliouro Siradji, André Djobo Derman, Yaminou Tchakondo Gandè (Tem); Nestor Gué, †Josephine Kpan and Emmanuel Zeh (Eastern Dan).

We would also like to acknowledge our colleagues who helped to improve the manuscript by reading and commenting on various sections of it: Thomas Bearth, †Margrit Bolli, Mike Cahill, Robert de Craene, Marcia Davidson, Wanda Davies, Lois Dozeman, Monijesu Ebube, Sally Finklea, Jim Laesch, Rachel Liu, Ettien Koffi, Christy Melick, Brigitte Nédellec, Lukas Neukom, Russell Norton, Funmi Ogunkeye, Kenneth Olson, Keith Snider, Zakari Tchagbalé, Heather Winskel, Catherine Young, and Lynell Zogbo.

Various aspects of the research results also benefited from discussions following oral presentations at the 11th International Workshop on Writing Systems and Literacy, University of Nanzan, Nagoya, Japan; the 12th International Workshop on Writing Systems and Literacy, University of Cambridge, UK; the 2nd International Workshop on Literacy and Writing Systems: Cultural, Neuropsychological, and Psycholinguistic Perspectives, University of Haifa, Israel; the Institut de Linguistique Appliquée, University of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; and the Jos Linguistics Circle, Jos, Nigeria.

We are grateful to Ali Cripps for proofreading the entire manuscript, Carl Williams and David Rowe for providing IT support, and Marcus Love, Matt Benjamin and David Hildebrand for designing new maps of all the language areas.