Tone sandhi rules in Dinka

1
Tone sandhi rules in Dinka
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Sandhi processes

• ti?iim tree-PL tone /HL/
• Aco?l a?-ti??? ti?iim Acol sees trees.
• Acol AGRsee treePL

/HL/
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Sandhi rules

• ti?iim tree-PL tone /HL/
• Aco?l a?-ti??? ti?iim Acol sees trees.
• Acol AGRsee treePL
• Aco?l a-ci?? ti?iim ma?aan Acol hated
  trees.
• Acol AGR-AUX treePL hatePAST

/HL/
/HL/ gt /L/
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Sandhi rules

• ti?iim tree-PL tone /HL/
• Aco?l a?-ti??? ti?iim Acol sees trees.
• Acol AGRsee treePL
• Aco?l a-ci?? ti?iim ma?aan Acol hated
  trees.
• Acol AGR-AUX treePL hatePAST
• Aco?l a?-ti??? ti?iim t?i?t Acol
  sees red trees.
• Acol AGR-see treePL redPL

/HL/
/HL/ gt /L/
/HL/ gt /H/
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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 1 Dissimilatory Lowering
• Aco?l a?-ci?? ti?iim ma?aan /H HL H/ gt
  H L H
• Acol AGR-AUX treePL hatePAST
• Acol hated trees.
• Aco?l a?-ci?? le?e? ma?aan /H H H/ gt
  H L L
• Acol AGR-AUX drumPL hatePAST
• Acol hated drums.

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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 1 Dissimilatory Lowering
• This process affects both H and HL.
• a?-ci?? le?e? a?-ci?? ti?iim
• H H H H L
• L L
• Inference the contour tones are structurally
  complex, composed of H and L.

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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 1 Dissimilatory Lowering
• Autosegmental representation s s
• H H L

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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 1 Dissimilatory Lowering
• The process applies recursively. How to deal with
  this in the phonological representation?
• Aco?l a?-ci?? ti?iim ma?aan /H HL H/ gt
  H L H
• Acol AGR-AUX treePL hatePAST
• Acol hated trees.
• Aco?l a?-ci?? le?e? ma?aan /H H H/ gt
  H L L
• Acol AGR-AUX drumSG hatePAST
• Acol hated drum.

9

• L __ L H __ H

HL
HL
L
Figure F0 track of HL on /ma?al/ meat on a
hide in two tonal contexts. The target word is
segmented.
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• L __ L H __ H

HL
HL
L
H
L
H
L
Figure F0 tracks of HL on /ma?al/ meat on a
hide and H on /le?e?/ drum in two tonal
contexts.
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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 2 Low Absorption
• Aco?ol a?-ti??? ti?iim t?i?t /L
  HL L/ gt /L H L/
• Acol AGR-see treePL redPL
• Acol sees red trees.

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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 2 Low Absorption
• Autosegmental representation s s
• H L L
• ø
• Aco?l a?-ti??? ti?iim t?i?t /L HL
  L/ gt /L H L/
• Acol AGR-see treePL redPL
• Acol sees red trees.

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Spk. GDM Spk. MAJ Spk. CAM
Figure F0 tracks of HL between two Ls second
L on adjective or adverb. The vowel onset is
marked by a vertical line the end of the coda is
marked by a dot. Following L on adverb
adjective
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Sandhi rules

• Sandhi rule 1 Dissimilatory Lowering
• Autosegmental rule s s
• H H L
• Sandhi rule 2 Low Absorption
• Autosegmental rule s s
• H L L
  ø

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Conclusions

• Underlying HL neutralises with L after H, and
  with H between Ls.
• Underlying H neutralises with L after H
• Underlying LH becomes M before (allophonic)
• Underlying L gets consistently realised L.
• There is no single context in which all the
  underlying tonemes surface as such.