aphaeresis in anyi: implications for orthography and...

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Aphaeresis in Anyi: Implications for Orthography and Lexicography

Ettien Koffi Associate Professor Saint Cloud State University, MN.

Annual Conference on African Linguistics- ACAL 36

Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA. March 31-April 2, 2005

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Presentation Outline

1.  Syllabic Structure of VCV(CV) words 2.  Phonological Characteristics of the

word-initial V 3.  Morphological Characteristics of Initial

Vowels 4.  Word-initial V in Connected Speech 5.  Lexicography and Orthography of

Word-initial V

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Definitions

l Hock (1988:92-94) provides the following definitions:

l Aphaeresis = deletion of initial vowels

l Apocope = deletion of final vowels

l Syncope = deletion of vowels in medial syllables.

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Focus on Phonology

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Syllabic Structure of Anyi Words

l  The canonical structure of Anyi words is CV(CV).

l  A relatively small number of words have a VCV(CV) structure. According to Quaireau (1987:69) words with an initial V represent about 10% of the Anyi lexicon.

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Overview of Anyi Vowels

i / ĩ u/ ũ ɩ /ɩ̃̃ ʊ/ ʊ̃ e o ɛ ɔ a/ã

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Distribution of Initial Vowels

l  In VCV(CV) words, the initial vowel must be one of the vowels below:

V /a/ /e/ or /ɛ/ l  The choice between /e/ or /ɛ/ is conditioned

by the harmonic value of the first vowel in the root.

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Tonal Characteristic

l  V CV(CV)

L l  This low tone may rise to mid under

certain circumstances. But this is irrelevant to the present discussion.

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Focus on Morphology

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Morphemic Characteristics

l  The initial V appears to be a prefix which has the following functions and/or meanings

1.  Unrecoverable function 2.  Nominalizing function 3.  Abstract noun formation 4.  Pluralizing function

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Unrecoverable Morphemic Function-1

l  Historical explanation: there are function words and content words which have an initial vowel prefix. The function and/or meaning of the prefix is unrecoverable form synchronic evidence.

1.  àwùnló: up, upward 2.  àhànmɩ̀án: aside

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Unrecoverable Morphemic Function-2

3.  ànzɛ̀: conj., or 4.  ànàán: conj., or 5.  ɛ̀wá ̀: here 6.  àhàán: conj. so that 7.  ɛ̀hɩ́/ɛ̀hɩ́ká: this 8.  àfìán : middle, in the midst 9.  àfɩ̀ɩ́n : therefore, etc.

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Explanatory Hypothesis

l The initial vowel prefix in these words may have originated from an initial C which was either the semi-vowel [j] or [w]. Over time, the semi-vowel was deleted as evidenced by the lexical item <wòfá> (uncle) which alternates with <òfà> in the speech of many people.

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Nominalization function-1

l  The initial prefix V participates in a complex derivational morphology process that turns verbs into nouns as in the examples below:

1.  èwùó: death from the verb <wu> : to die 2.  àwùó: theft from the verb <wua>: to steal 3.  èhìán: need from the verb <hian>: to need

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Nominalization function-2

4.  èmìán: a bind from the verb <mian>: to need 5.  àsìélɩ̀ɛ́: cemetery from the verb <sie>: to

burry 6.  àwʊ́lɩ̀ɛ́ : birth form the verb <wʊ>: to give

birth 7.  ɛ̀hɔ́lɛ̀ : departure from the verb <kɔ>: to go 8.  Ɛ̀lálɩ̀ɛ́: a dream from the verb <da> : to sleep

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Nominalization function-3

7.  àzábɛ̀sín: going backward from the phrasal verb <sa bɛ sin> = to go backward

8.  àcɩ̀rɩ́sʊ̀ɔ́ = belt from the phrasal verb <cɩ̀ sʊ> : to tighten

9.  àtúbɛ̀wʊ̀n = pride from the phrasal verb <tu bɛ wʊn>: to show off

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Abstract noun formation-1

l  The initial vowels /à/ functions as a prefix that helps create [+abstract] nouns from existing [+concrete] nouns as shown in the following examples:

1.  àtìré: intelligence from the word <tí>: head 2.  àsʊ̀ɔ́: understanding from the word <sʊ́>: ear 3.  àhʊnlʊn: disposition from the word <kunlun>:

stomach

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Abstract noun formation-2

4.  àjàlɛ̀: step from the word <já> : foot 5.  àbùsùán: family from the word <bʊ́>:

bottom 6.  ànyíìn: the Anyi people from the word

<yí>: to grow up (possibly) 7.  ànyàán: sight from the word <nyín

bàá>: eye

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Pluralizing function -1

l  Ordinal and cardinal numbers from 20 to 99 begin with the prefix <à-> and ordinal and cardinal numbers from 100 to 999 begin with the prefix <ɛ̀->. This leads me to posit that the initial vowel prefix may have a pluralizing function.

1.  àbúlɛ̀ = 20 2.  àbúlásán = 30 3.  àbúlánán = 40

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Pluralizing function -2

4.  àbúlónún = 50 5.  àbúlósìán = 60 6.  àbúlásʊ́ = 70 7.  àbúlɔ́cʊ́ɛ́ = 80 8.  àbúláhʊ́lán = 90 9.  ɛ̀yàá = 100

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Word initial Vowels in Connected Speech

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Aphaeresis in Associative Constructions-1

1.  Kàsí à lí èbíhìé Kasi has eaten a snail 2.  Kàsí à tó èbíhìé Kasi has bought a snail 3.  èbíhìé tɩ́ kpìlí snail is big

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Aphaeresis in Associative Constructions-2

4.  Kàsí à fá èbíhìé Kasi has found a snail 5.  Kàsí à fá èbíhìé Kasi has found a snail

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Aphaeresis in Associative Constructions-3

l  In all the previous examples, the initial vowel of the word <èbíhìé> is maintained. However in the sentence below, <è> is deleted.

6.  Kàsí __bíhìé tɩ́ kpìlí Kasi’s snail is big

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Aphaeresis in Associative Constructions-4

l  In associative constructions, i.e., genitive constructions, the initial vowel is elided:

VCV(CV) ø/ X + ___ CV(CV) Where is X is a possessive NP

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Aphaeresis with Locative Adverbs-1

l  Aphaeresis also occurs in other syntactic constructions as illustrated by the examples 4, 5 and 6 below:

1.  ɛ̀wá tɩ́ kpá here is good = No bad news here

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Aphaeresis with Locative Adverbs-2

2.  ɛ̀bɛ̀lɛ́ tɩ́ kpá there is good it is comfortable there 3.  ɛ̀lɔ́ tɩ́ kpá over there is good No bad news over there

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Aphaeresis with Locative Adverbs-3

l  In the preceding examples, the locative adverbs <ɛ̀wá, ɛ̀bɛ̀lɛ́, ɛ̀lɔ́> have initial vowels. However, they undergo deletion when they are preceded by a stative verb or a verb of motion as in the examples below:

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Aphaeresis with Locative Adverbs-4

4.  Kàsí wɔ́ ___wá Kasi is here

5.  Kàsí wɔ́ ___bɛ̀lɛ́

Kasi is there 6.  Kàsí wɔ́ ___lɔ́ Kasi is over there

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Aphaeresis in the VP

l  The initial V in VCV(CV) is deleted in the VP when a stative verb or a verb of motion precedes it

VCV(CV) ø/ X + ___ CV(CV) Where is X is a stative verb or a verb of

motion

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Other Processes in Connected Speech Modifications

l  The initial vowel in VCV(CV) undergoes other phonological processes, namely,

1.  Palatalization

2.  Labialialization

3.  Vowel lengthening

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Palatalization in Connected Speech Modification

l  In general if a lexical NP ends with a high front vowel and it is followed immediately by a low vowel, palata-lization occurs:

1.  <Kàsí àlɩ̀ɛ́> becomes [Kà sȷà́ lɩ̀ɛ́]

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Labialization in Connected Speech Modification

l  In general if a lexical NP ends with a high back vowel and is followed immediately by a non high vowel, labialization occurs:

1.  <Yàʊ́ àlɩ̀ɛ́> becomes [Yà wà lɩ̀ɛ́] Yaʊ’ s food 2.  <Yàʊ́ èlùó> becomes [Yà wè lùó] Yaʊ’s yam

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Vowel Lengthening in Connected Speech Modification

l  In general if a lexical NP ends with the vowel <a> and is followed immediately by another vowel <a>, vowel lengthening occurs:

l  <Àyá àlɩ̀ɛ́> becomes [ày áà lɩ̀ɛ́ ] Aya’s food l  The tonal contour indicates clearly that vowel

lengthening has taken place.

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Implications for Orthography and Lexicography

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Aphaeresis and Orthography

l  Should both the underlying VCV(CV) form and the alternate form CV(CV) be represented in the Anyi orthography?

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Orthographic Principles

l  “Subject to rare exceptions, each word should be written in one way only, and its orthography form should in most cases be based on the pronunciation it has when said in isolation,” Jones (1967:227).

l  “Orthographies must make abstraction of the

effects of sentence phonology. Spelling represents words as said in isolation,” Booij (1987:217)

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Aphaeresis and Lexicography

l  Should VCV(CV) forms be listed twice in the Anyi dictionary: once as VCV(CV) and another time as CV(CV)?

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Lexicographic Proposals-1

1.  The lexicographic representations of VCV(CV) words should be based on their non-derived form.

2.  However, variant CV(CV) forms due to dialect variations should be noted in the dictionary as alternative pronunciations. The alternative pronunciation should be indicated right after the original VCV(V) form as in the example (3) below:

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Lexicographic Proposals-2

3.  èsìkàá (~ sìkàá) l  The symbol <~> could be adopted as a

convention for “alternates with.”

l  Alternate forms that could be predicted by post-lexical phonology rules need not be represented in the dictionary.

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Bibliography-1

l  Booij, Geert E. 1987. The Reflection of Linguistic Structure in Dutch Spelling. In Phonology and Orthography, ed. by Philip A. Luelsdorff (Ed.), pp. 215-224. Philadelphia: John Benjamin Publishing Co.

l  Hock, Hendrich H. 1988. Principles of Historical

Linguistics. New York: Mouton de Gruyter. l  Jones, Daniel. 1967. The Phoneme: Its Nature and

Use. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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Bibliography-2

l  Qauireau, André. 1987. Description de l’Agni: Des Parlers Moronou, Ndénié et Bona. Thèse pour le doctorat d’Etat. Université de Grenoble III., France.

l  Koffi, Ettien N. 1990. The Interface

between Phonology and Morpho(phono)logy in the Standardization of Anyi Orthography. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

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Appendix

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Appendix-1

1.  àcɛ̀cɛ́ : butterfly 2.  àdùá: dog 3.  ɛ̀làlíɛ̀: dream 4.  àsɩ̀án: rashes 5.  ɛ̀kɛ̀ndàá: spider 6.  àwùnló: up, upward

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Appendix-2

7.  ànɩ̀án: sound, language 8.  àngʊ̀nndàn: thought 9.  àhànmɩ̀án: aside 10.  àwosíìn: darkness, night 11.  àlájè: peace, transquility 12.  ànzɛ̀: conj., or

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Appendix-3

13.  ànàán: conj., or 14.  àwójéè: jaw 15.  àkpɔ̀ɔ́: road, way 16.  ànyíìn: Anyi people, Anyi language 17.  àyéè: palm nut

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Appendix-4

18.  àmíndíì: noon, borrowing from French <midi>

19.  asikɛlɛ: sugar, borrowing from Portuguese <asugar>

20.  ɛ̀wáà: savannah 21.  ɛ̀wá: here

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Appendix-5

22.  àwàá: calabash 23.  àwáà: government 24.  ɛ̀yàá: wrath 25.  ɛ̀yáà: Friday 26.  èwùó: death

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Appendix-6

27.  àwùó: theft 28.  àhàá: trap 29.  àhàán: conj. So that 30.  èfùó: powder

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Appendix-7

31.  èfùún: corpse 32.  èhìán: need 33.  èmìán: difficulty 34.  èhóò: hunger 35.  àsìélɩ̀ɛ́: cemetery 36.  ɛ̀tànnɩ̀n: cloth

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Appendix-8

37.  àsʊ̀ɔ́: hearing 38.  àjàlɛ̀: step, wedding 39.  ɛ̀jɔ́rɔ̀: matter, stuff 40.  àtɩ́ɩ̀n: road 41.  ɛ̀hɩ́/ɛ̀hɩ́ká: this

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Appendix-9

42.  èwòó: snake 43.  èmìnlàn: wash cloth 44.  àtìré: head