Only recently discovered by linguistic scholars, Tondi Songway Kiini (TSK) is a tonal language spoken in the small country of Mali in western Africa. Unlike other Songhay languages, TSK preserves the lexical and grammatical tones of its proto-language and also exhibits unique systems for the expression of focalization and relativization. Tondi Songway Kiini is a valuable overview of the grammar of an African language with a tone system quite different from that of the more familiar Bantu system. It is also an irreplaceable guide to the grammar and meanings of this unusual African language.

Jeffrey Heath is professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan.