Analyse phonologique
In fluent speech, various types of reduction and assimilation are typically observed, mainly
across word boundaries. The following examples illustrate several such processes: sometimes
a vowel may be deleted, sometimes an entire syllable. Such segmental variation triggers, in
turn, modifications on the tonal tier. Your task is to provide an analysis that predicts the surface
redistribution of tones, as pronounced in the right-hand column. Follow steps a – c.
1. bètámbá béfé [bètámbéfé] ‘two trees’
2. là ìtókò [lìtókò] ‘with the fork’
3. mpùlú ìnɛ́ [mpùlwiˆnɛ́
] ‘these birds’
4. là bɔ́
nà [lɔˇnà] ‘with the baby’
5. sóngóló ɔˆtswɛ̀ [sóngólɔˆtswɛ̀
] ‘may Songolo enter’
6. bàlóngá baˇkáé [bàlóngâ´káé] ‘his blood’
7. fàkàlà ɔˆtswà [fàkàlɔ̀
ˆtswà] ‘may Fakal enter’
8. baˇnkò baˇmɔˇ [baˇnkaˇmɔˇ] ‘these others’
9. ɔˇmɔˇ eˆmbè [ɔˇmèˆmbè] ‘may someone else sing’
a. For each example on the left, indicate the underlying tonal melody, then the
autosegmental representation of the H and L tones associated to vowels. (6 points)
Notice that there are contour tones that can include two or three tones. Unfortunately, the tone diacritics
show up misaligned with the vowels. Please note that examples 6, 7, 9 have contour tones of three tones.
b. Now examine the examples on the right, the actual pronunciations. Are there any changes
in the distribution of tones? Write a generalization that captures all nine examples.
(4 points)
c. -For examples 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, determine what changes occur at the segmental level.
-Then show, on the autosegmental representation, what operations take place that result
in the surface form on the right. Don’t rush. Go through each example. For certain examples
there are multiple steps in the derivation.
-If conventions apply, explain which ones and how they work.
(10 points ; 2 per example)
