|
Description:
|
The Phonology of Two Central Chadic Languages: These two phonologies of the
Chadic languages Muyang and Mbuko present typologically unusual data, the
bulk of which is found in the vowel systems. Prosodies of labialization and
palatalization can span entire words, affecting both vowels and consonants.
Morphemes are of three types: neutral, labialized, and palatalized. At a
deep level, these languages have only one or two basic vowels; all other
vowel qualities result from the interplay of other factors. The
labialization and palatalization prosodies do not operate identically, but
may co-occur in Muyang, and possibly in Mbuko. The consonantal and tonal
systems also have points of interest. Both Muyang and Mbuko have lateral
fricatives, implosive stops and prenasalized voiced stops. Both have three
tone levels but no contour tones or downstep. Voiced obstruents and voiced
fricatives in Muyang and Mbuko are tonal depressors. These phonologies are
written in a broadly generative rule-based framework, but theorists from
various persuasions will find much of interest, including Muyang
labialization patterns related to adjacency and consonant/prosody/vowel
interactions, Mbuko tones and adjacency, and a Muyang [+cor] autosegment
causative morpheme. The works in this volume are the result of years of
intensive contact with the speakers of Muyang and Mbuko by the authors.
|