Abstract
This paper offers an overview of verbal tone melodies within Luyia, a cluster of Bantu languages spoken in Kenya and Uganda. Luyia tone is diverse, possessing three types of verbal tonal systems: 'conservative', 'predictable', and 'reversive'. We illustrate the general tonal characteristics of each type of system with an exemplar language variety, describing the complex interactions of lexical and melodic tones.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 121-143 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Africana Linguistica |
Volume | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bantu
- Luyia
- Tense-aspect-mood
- Tone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language