Abstract
In Dinka, a predominantly monosyllabic and highly fusional Western
Nilotic language, vowel quality alternation in the root plays a major and systematic
role in the morphology of verbs, together with alternations in vowel
length, voice quality, and tone. Earlier work has shown that in the inflection of
simple, i. e., underived, transitive verbs, the vowel quality alternation conforms
to a vowel height gradation system with three vowel grades. The present article
shows that this vowel gradation system is also operative in the morphology of
derived verbs with a transitive root, but with certain modifications. These
include a different distribution of the vowel grades and interaction with a shift
in voice quality, to breathy voice.
Nilotic language, vowel quality alternation in the root plays a major and systematic
role in the morphology of verbs, together with alternations in vowel
length, voice quality, and tone. Earlier work has shown that in the inflection of
simple, i. e., underived, transitive verbs, the vowel quality alternation conforms
to a vowel height gradation system with three vowel grades. The present article
shows that this vowel gradation system is also operative in the morphology of
derived verbs with a transitive root, but with certain modifications. These
include a different distribution of the vowel grades and interaction with a shift
in voice quality, to breathy voice.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Journal of African Languages and Linguistics |
| Vol/bind | 38 |
| Udgave nummer | 1 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 1-50 |
| Antal sider | 50 |
| ISSN | 0167-6164 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2017 |