Poised to pivot: Kenyan Maay's restricted tone system

Christopher R. Green, Katrina Smith

Research output: Chapter in Book/Entry/PoemChapter

Abstract

This paper explores characteristics of languages with restricted tone systems, with a focus on dialects of the Cushitic language Maay. Languages with restricted tone systems, referred to by a variety of terms such as reduced tone, pitch accent, and nonstress accent, among others, display several stress-like properties despite remaining definitionally tonal. We discuss two Maay dialects (Kenyan Maay and Baydhabo Maay) that have been on similar pathways toward stresshood, though each has retained different properties of tone systems. We present the Maay facts and compare these dialects' tonal behavior to that of other closely related languages with similarly restricted systems. Through consideration of relevant phonological and morphological processes in these languages, we examine the dividing line between tone and stress, in service of better understanding observed variation between restricted tone systems and pathways to stresshood. We propose an analysis that accounts for the "near pivot" status of these Maay tonal systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Ghanaian Linguistics Nexus
PublisherLanguage Science Press
Pages269-287
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9783961104697
ISBN (Print)9783985540983
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 25 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Arts and Humanities
  • General Social Sciences

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