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A Critical Review of Some Contentious Issues in the Phonetics and Phonology of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba

Received: 22 November 2021     Accepted: 11 December 2021     Published: 24 December 2021
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Abstract

Some contentious/controversial issues in the Phonetics/Phonologies of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba, (all members of the Kwa group of languages) are examined in this paper. This includes the appropriateness or otherwise of the use of the term “coalescence” in phonology based on available data in Ẹdo and Yoruba. The data from the Ẹdo language, and the reanalyzed Yoruba data do not seem to support the continued use of the term “coalescence” without any overt phonetic motivation as a tool for defining/describing what is actually vowel assimilation, vowel elision, and tone shift as a set of phonologically ordered processes. The second issue examined in this paper is the generally held view of the total assimilation of V2 by V3 across word boundary in a V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation in Igbo. It is a known fact in languages that a more plausible (natural) assimilatory process involves a left to right movement not a right to left movement. It is argued that the so-called (total) vowel assimilation in Igbo V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation is simply the case of the elision of V2, and the re-association of the tone thereon with V3, i. e., the first vowel of the second word. The autosegmental perspective is employed to elucidate this fact. In the third issue examined, it is argued that mutual exclusivity, used as the defining characteristic of languages that manifest vowel harmony, effectively excludes the Ẹdo and other Ẹdoid languages, in which there is free co-occurrence of vowels in any position of the word from being characterized as languages that manifest vowel harmony. The fourth issue examined is the manifestation of the downdrift and downstep phenomena. It is argued that the phenomena are language specific: non-phonemic in Ẹdo, involving a set of phonologically ordered rules whereas it is phonemic in Igbo. It is demonstrated that the only condition for obtaining a downstepped tone in Ẹdo is the presence of a H # L tone pattern across word boundary. The donwnstepped High tone in Igbo is phonemic irrespective of the nature (voice or voiceless) of the intervocalic consonants in VCV words.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 9, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16
Page(s) 320-333
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Assimilation, Deletion, Coalescence, Process, Vowel Harmony, Mutual Exclusivity, Downdrift, Downstep

References
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[4] Bamgbose, A. (1995): Vowel deletion or vowel coalescence: a problem in Yoruba phonology. in Issues in African Languages and Linguistics: Essays in Honour of Kay W. Williamson. Emenajo, E. N. and Ndimele, O. M. (eds). National Institute of Nigerian Languages, (NINLAN) Book Series, Aba, Nigeria. 19-29.
[5] Donwa-Ifode, S. (1995): Basic Phonetics. Sunray Publications Ltd. Port Harcourt. Greenberg, J. N. (1963): The Languages of Africa. Indiana University Press. Bloomington.
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[7] Elugbe, B. O. (1989): Comparative Edoid: Phonology and Lexicon (Delta Series 6) University of Port Harcourt Press, Port Harcourt.
[8] Emenanjo, E. N. (1978): Elements of Igbo Grammar. Ibadan: Oxford University Press.
[9] Faraclas, N. (1985): Vowel Coalescence: A reply. Journal of West African Languages. XV/1: 14-18.
[10] Goldsmith, J., (1976): Autosegmental Phonology. Doctoral Dissertation. M. I. T., Cambridge Massachusetts. Garland Press. New York. 1979.
[11] Goldsmith, J. (1979): The aims of autosegmental phonology. in Current Trends in Phonological Representation. Dinnesen, D. A. (ed.). Indiana University Press. Bloomington, and London.
[12] Halle, M. & Vergnaud, J-R., (1980): Three Dimensional Phonology. Journal of Linguistic Research. 1: 83-105.
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[16] Kenstowicz, M. and Kisserberth, C. (1979): Generative Phonology. Academic Press. New York.
[17] Leben, W. (1982): On the Framework of Autosegmental Phonology. in Van der Hulst, H., & Smith, N. (eds). The Structure of Phonological Representations (Part I). Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
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[25] Omozuwa, V. E. (1997): “Vowel elision and tones in Edo CV # VCV(CV) constructions.” Journal of Asian and African Studies, No. 53; 113-121.
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[27] Omozuwa, V. E. (2003b): ‘On the so-called vowel coalescence.’ IRORO: Journal of Arts, Vol. 9; 69-86. Ambrose Ali University. Ekpoma.
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[29] Omozuwa, V. E. (2006): The interaction between vowel elision, vowel assimilation, and tones in Edo and Igbo: a comparative analysis’ The Nigerian Journal of the Humanities, No. 13; 192-211. Faculty of Arts, University of Benin, Benin City.
[30] Ọmọzuwa, V. E. (2010a): “Vowel Coalescence” as Assimilation and Elision Processes: evidence from Ẹdo. New Findings in the study of Nigerian Languages and Literature – A festschrift in honour of ỌLÁDÉLÉ AWÓBÙLÚYÌ. 151-163. Francis O. Oyebade and Temitope Olumuyiwa (eds). Department of Linguistics and Languages, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. Ondo State.
[31] Ọmọzuwa, V. E. (2010b): “Vowel assimilation” in Igbo as vowel elision and tone shift: autosegmental perspective to the rescue. ÀKÙNGBÁ Journal of Linguistics and Literatures. No. 1, 116-129.
[32] Ọmọzuwa, V. E. (2010c): Ẹdo phonetics and phonology (2010 edition). Ambik Press, Benin City.
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[35] Pulleyblank, H., (1983): Tone in Lexical Phonology. Doctoral Dissertation. M. I. T. Cambridge Massachusetts. Published in revised version; 1986, Reidel, Dordrecht.
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[37] Stahlke, H. (1976): Segment sequences and segmental fusion. Studies in African Linguistics 7: 41-63.
[38] Traupman, J. (1981): Bantam New College German and English Dictionary. Bantam New College Dictionary Series, Google Books.
[39] Van der Hulst, H., & Smith, N. (eds), (1982): Autosegmental and Metrical Phonology. in Van der Hulst, H., & Smith, N. (eds). The Structure of Phonological Representations (Part I). 2-45. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
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    Victor Ẹdosa Ọmọzuwa. (2021). A Critical Review of Some Contentious Issues in the Phonetics and Phonology of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 9(6), 320-333. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16

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    Victor Ẹdosa Ọmọzuwa. A Critical Review of Some Contentious Issues in the Phonetics and Phonology of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2021, 9(6), 320-333. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16

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    Victor Ẹdosa Ọmọzuwa. A Critical Review of Some Contentious Issues in the Phonetics and Phonology of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba. Int J Lang Linguist. 2021;9(6):320-333. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16,
      author = {Victor Ẹdosa Ọmọzuwa},
      title = {A Critical Review of Some Contentious Issues in the Phonetics and Phonology of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {9},
      number = {6},
      pages = {320-333},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20210906.16},
      abstract = {Some contentious/controversial issues in the Phonetics/Phonologies of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba, (all members of the Kwa group of languages) are examined in this paper. This includes the appropriateness or otherwise of the use of the term “coalescence” in phonology based on available data in Ẹdo and Yoruba. The data from the Ẹdo language, and the reanalyzed Yoruba data do not seem to support the continued use of the term “coalescence” without any overt phonetic motivation as a tool for defining/describing what is actually vowel assimilation, vowel elision, and tone shift as a set of phonologically ordered processes. The second issue examined in this paper is the generally held view of the total assimilation of V2 by V3 across word boundary in a V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation in Igbo. It is a known fact in languages that a more plausible (natural) assimilatory process involves a left to right movement not a right to left movement. It is argued that the so-called (total) vowel assimilation in Igbo V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation is simply the case of the elision of V2, and the re-association of the tone thereon with V3, i. e., the first vowel of the second word. The autosegmental perspective is employed to elucidate this fact. In the third issue examined, it is argued that mutual exclusivity, used as the defining characteristic of languages that manifest vowel harmony, effectively excludes the Ẹdo and other Ẹdoid languages, in which there is free co-occurrence of vowels in any position of the word from being characterized as languages that manifest vowel harmony. The fourth issue examined is the manifestation of the downdrift and downstep phenomena. It is argued that the phenomena are language specific: non-phonemic in Ẹdo, involving a set of phonologically ordered rules whereas it is phonemic in Igbo. It is demonstrated that the only condition for obtaining a downstepped tone in Ẹdo is the presence of a H # L tone pattern across word boundary. The donwnstepped High tone in Igbo is phonemic irrespective of the nature (voice or voiceless) of the intervocalic consonants in VCV words.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AB  - Some contentious/controversial issues in the Phonetics/Phonologies of Ẹdo, Igbo, and Yoruba, (all members of the Kwa group of languages) are examined in this paper. This includes the appropriateness or otherwise of the use of the term “coalescence” in phonology based on available data in Ẹdo and Yoruba. The data from the Ẹdo language, and the reanalyzed Yoruba data do not seem to support the continued use of the term “coalescence” without any overt phonetic motivation as a tool for defining/describing what is actually vowel assimilation, vowel elision, and tone shift as a set of phonologically ordered processes. The second issue examined in this paper is the generally held view of the total assimilation of V2 by V3 across word boundary in a V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation in Igbo. It is a known fact in languages that a more plausible (natural) assimilatory process involves a left to right movement not a right to left movement. It is argued that the so-called (total) vowel assimilation in Igbo V1CV2 # V3CV4 collocation is simply the case of the elision of V2, and the re-association of the tone thereon with V3, i. e., the first vowel of the second word. The autosegmental perspective is employed to elucidate this fact. In the third issue examined, it is argued that mutual exclusivity, used as the defining characteristic of languages that manifest vowel harmony, effectively excludes the Ẹdo and other Ẹdoid languages, in which there is free co-occurrence of vowels in any position of the word from being characterized as languages that manifest vowel harmony. The fourth issue examined is the manifestation of the downdrift and downstep phenomena. It is argued that the phenomena are language specific: non-phonemic in Ẹdo, involving a set of phonologically ordered rules whereas it is phonemic in Igbo. It is demonstrated that the only condition for obtaining a downstepped tone in Ẹdo is the presence of a H # L tone pattern across word boundary. The donwnstepped High tone in Igbo is phonemic irrespective of the nature (voice or voiceless) of the intervocalic consonants in VCV words.
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