Tone Reversal in Tembo (Bantu J. 57)

KAJI Shigeki

doi:10.11435/gengo1939.1994.105_54

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

テンボ語の声調の逆転現象
テンボ語の声調の逆転現象--フンデ語,バンツー祖語と比較して
テンボゴノセイチョウノギャクテンゲンショウフンデゴバンツーソゴ

Search this article

Abstract

With respect to tone reversal in Bantu languages of Africa, the example of Luba (L. 31) is well-known, and has. been the subject of several works. In this paper, the author draws attention to another language of tone reversal, Tembo (J. 57), which is spoken by some 50, 000 people in the eastern part of Zaire (Kivu Region), hundreds of kilometers away from Luba. The author has been studying it in the field since 1976.<br>ldquo;Although some irregularities are found, tone reversal as such is perfect in Tembo. Examples: *-t>Iacute; >Prime;tree>Prime; >ldquo; -ci muci 3, 4; *-nt>ugrave; >Prime;person>Prime; >ldquo; -ndz>ugrave; mundz>ugrave; 1, 2; *-kede >Prime;frog>Prime; >ldquo; -kere c>Iacute;kere 7, 8; *-d>Iacute;m>Ugrave; >Prime;spirit>Prime; >ldquo; -s>Iacute;m>Uacute; m>Uac>Uacute;te;simu 1, 2; *-kene >Prime;poor>Prime; >ldquo; -kene, mukene 1, 2; *-bidl >Prime;body>Prime; >ldquo; -bilyi mubilyi 3, 4; *-djm- >Prime;to be extinguished>Prime; >ldquo; -sim- kusima; *-did- >Prime;to cry>Prime;>ldquo;-lir- kulira.<br>ldquo;Three rules, namely High Tone Anticipation, High Tone Leveling and High Tone Spreading are postulated to explain this historical phenomenon. The derivations from Proto-Bantu to Tembo for nominals of mono- and disyllablic stems can be summarized as follows (in the Proto-Bantu forms, the first H represents the augment, and the following L the nominal prefix) : a. *H-L-H>ldquo;HRL>ldquo;HHL; b. *H-L-L>ldquo;HHL>ldquo;HHH; c. *H-L-HH>ldquo;HRLL>ldquo;HHLL; d. *H-L-HL>ldquo;HRLH>ldquo;HHLH; e. *H-L-LH>ldquo;HLRL HHHL; f. *H-L-LL>ldquo;HHLL>ldquo;HHHL>ldquo;HHHH.

Journal

GENGO KENKYU (Journal of the Linguistic Society of Japan)

GENGO KENKYU (Journal of the Linguistic Society of Japan) 1994 (105), 54-86, 1994

The Linguistic Society of Japan

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

CRID: 1390282680098125824

NII Article ID: 130003565628

NII Book ID: AN00077625

DOI: 10.11435/gengo1939.1994.105_54

ISSN: 21856710; 00243914

NDL BIB ID: 3549076

Web Site: http://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/3549076; https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I3549076

Text Lang: en

Data Source

JaLC
NDL
CiNii Articles

Abstract License Flag: Disallowed

Export