A Case for the Phonetic Feature [Tongue]
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Date
2004
Authors
Mwihaki, A. N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
National Inquiry Services Centre
Abstract
Based on the autosegmental principles of phonemic licensing, this article argues a case for the phonetic feature [tongue] to function as a cover label for all true consonants that are articulated with a tongue stricture. The case evolves from a qualitative analysis of two strategies of the adaptation of Gîkûyû loanwords from English: vocalic epenthesis and velar softening.
Vocalic epenthesis is an assimilation strategy which focuses on the front high vowel, /i/. This vowel is regularly inserted in the environment of the true [+con.-voc.] consonants, which are also articulated with a tongue stricture. Unlike the back vowels /u/ and /o/ which regularly occur in the environments of labials and the liquid respectively, the constraint of /i/ epenthesis is not generalizable by any set of recognized phonetic features.
Velar softening concerns a foregrounding of Dahl's Law of Dissimilation in the Gîkûyû phonological structure. This strategy defines the suppletion of the back voiceless plosive, /k/, to the homorganic voiced fricative, /γ/, in the environment of the voiceless obstruents of the tongue stricture. Once again, it seems impossible to capture a definitive constraint of the suppletion process by reference to the current set of phonetic features.
Description
DOI:10.1080/02572117.2004.10587222
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Citation
South African Journal of African Languages Volume 24, Issue 1, 2004