Metrical Dependencies in Tone Assignment
B. M. Sietsema, 1989
This thesis presents metrical analyses of tone assignment (tone shift, tone insertion tone spread) in four Bantu languages of Tanzania. A constrained metrical system of rules and parameters (Halle and Vergnaud 1987) is introduced and applied to these languages in order to explain a variety of long-distance tone phenomena. The metrical analysis reduces these phenomena to a set of local operations within an autosegmental theory of phonology.
Along with the introduction of metrical theory (Chapter One), a theory of tone and morphology for the Bantu languages is sketched out and illustrated by partial analyses of Kimatuumbi and Ci-Ruri (Chapter Two). Fuller analyses of Digo (Chapter Three) and Sukuma (Chapter Four) follow, building on the theoretical devices which were developed for the analyses of Kimatuumbi and Ci-Ruri. Metrical structure is shown to play a profound role in the tonology of these languages.
The study concludes by drawing out the theoretical implications of the previous analyses, with particular attention to the typology of tone-accent interactions.
Thesis supervisor: Morris Halle
Title: Institute Professor
Table of Contents
Introduction Solving a problem like Sukuma 9
Chapter One The Elements of Metrical Theory 13
1.0 The goal of the present work 13
1.1 Why suspect metrical structure in Bantu? 16
1.1.1 Reduplication in Yidiny and Manam 17
1.1.2 Vowel length in Yidiny 21
1.1.3 Meta-linguistic considerations 24
1.2 What is metrical structure? 29
1.3 The elements of metrical structure 32
1.3.1 Metrically significant units 32
1.3.2 Directionality or headedness 35
1.3.3 Directionality of constituent construction 38
1.3.4 Foot sizes: binary and unbounded 41
1.3.5 Extrametricality 43
1.3.6 Idiosyncratic head marking 47
1.3.7 Cyclicity and stress erasure 54
1.4 Metrical structure and tone 61
1.5 Summary of chapters 66
Chapter Two The elements of Bantu tone and morphology 68
2.1 Representing tones in Bantu 69
2.2 Bantu morphology 76
2.2.1 Nominals and noun classes 76
2.2.2 Verbs, inflected and extended 85
2.2.3 The structure of Bantu phrases 91
2.3 Case studies in metrical-tone interaction 95
2.3.1 Metrical spreading and delinking in Kimatuumbi 95
2.3.1.1 The metrical theory of Pulleyblank 1983 95
2.3.1.2 Discussion of Pulleyblank 1983 101
2.3.1.3 A mterical-tonal analysis of Kimatuumbi 103
2.3.2 Attraction and displacement in Ci-Ruri 114
2.3.3 Summary of metrical-tone interactions 129
Chapter Three Tones and metrical structure in Digo 130
3.1 Difficulties for a tonal analusis of Digo 131
3.2 A metrical analysis of Digo 142
3.2.1 Tone and metrical structure in simple nouns and verbs 142
3.2.2 Tone and metrical structure in neutralizing verb stems 152
3.2.3 Verbs with object markers 159
3.2.4 Noun tone patterns and locative phrases 165
3.2.5 Tone patterns in inflected verbs 176
3.2.5.1 Inflected verbs with one H tone 177
3.2.5.2 Inflected verbs with two H tones 182
3.2.5.2.1 High-toned verbs with high-toned
inflections 182
3.2.5.2.2 Monosyllabic verbs with high-toned
inflections 187
3.2.5.2.3 Verbs in the "A- past tense 195
3.2.5.3 Imperatives 200
3.2.6 Verb phrases containing noun phrases 210
3.2.6.1 Phrases with no surface H tones 211
3.2.6.2 Phrases with one surface H tone 212
3.2.6.3 Phrases with multiple surface H tones 223
3.3 Summary and discussion 233
Appendix: High tone doubling or high tone split? 236
Chapter Four Tone and metrical structure in Sukuma 240
4.1 An overview of Sukuma tonology 241
4.2 Metrical structure in verbs 248
4.3 Tone fusion 255
4.4 Metrical structure and tone in nouns and adjectives 261
4.4.1 Underived nouns and adjectives 261
4.4.2 Deverbal nouns 270
4.4.3 Tone in concord elements 275
4.5 Phrase-final tone phenomena 285
4.6 Inalterable tones in Sukuma nouns 295
4.7 Other inalterable tones 315
4.8 The status of tone-bearing consonants 321
4.9 Spread/delink vs. displace 328
Chapter Five Futher theoretical considerations 332
5.1 The rule-drive nature of tonology 332
5.2 Tone linkage to the segmental tier 334
5.3 Digo voiced obstruents and moraic phonology 336
5.4 A catalogue of tone-accent interactions 339
5.5 Bantu tone systems and metrical theory 342