Nominal tonology and spreading rules in Tagbana (Fròʔò dialect)

In this article, nominal tonology of Tagbana, a Senufo language of Côte d’Ivoire is investigated. The contribution of this article is twofold as it concerns the whole tonal system, including lexical tones, sandhi tone rules, and the organisation of the prosodic hierarchy. It is shown that Tagbana has three level tones (L, M, H) and two floating tones (H) and (L). A mid tone (M) at the end of a noun is always followed by a floating tone (either H or L), which might be a historic trace left by the tone of a Class Marker. Two clusters of sandhi tonal rules are shown to play a role, called ‘Mid Replacement rules’ (RepM) and ‘Spreading rules on H & L’ (SprH&L). The domains of the sandhi tonal rules are studied in some detail, from the Minimal Prosodic Word (root + class marker), the Intermediate and Maximal Prosodic Words (nominal and adjectival compounds), the Prosodic Phrases (particularly in object + verb constructions), to the Intonational Phrase. Considering the prosodic levels above the Minimal Prosodic Word, more tonal sandhi processes are found to apply in smaller prosodic domains than in larger ones.

Characteristics of Effective Auditory Training: Implications From Two Training Programs That Successfully Trained Nonnative Cantonese Tone Identification in Monolingual Mandarin and Bilingual Mandarin–Taiwanese Tone Speakers

Purpose Auditory training is important in pedagogical and clinical settings. In search of a more effective perceptual program for training new suprasegmental categories, this study examined the effect of two auditory programs that incorporated five elements that have previously been identified to be effective for training nonnative segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds on the identification of a complex foreign lexical tone system (Cantonese) that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights. To investigate the training outcomes in learners with different tonal systems, monolingual Mandarin-speaking learners who have a smaller native tonal system that contrasts pitch shapes only and bilingual Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking learners who have a larger native tonal system that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights were recruited for training. Method Thirty Mandarin-speaking monolinguals and 33 Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking bilinguals in Taiwan were randomly assigned to two training programs, one with different tones and the other with the same tone preceding the target words in the same training block, and received six 90-min training sessions within 2 weeks. They took a Cantonese Tone Identification Test before training and after each training session. Twenty Cantonese native speakers in Hong Kong served as the reference group and took the same Cantonese Tone Identification Test. Results The two training programs were equally effective. Before training, the monolinguals performed poorer than the bilinguals. After training, the monolinguals and bilinguals in both training programs identified the six Cantonese tones in new words, new utterances, and novel speakers with comparable results, and their overall accuracy did not differ from that of the Cantonese native speakers. Conclusions Though learners with a larger and more complex native tonal system have initial advantage in learning nonnative tones, the intensive high-variability full-set training programs that provide explicit phonetic instruction and contrastive feedback of nonnative tones effectively promote nonnative tone acquisition in learners of different tone languages. The findings revealed factors affecting nonnative tone acquisition in tone speakers. The design of the two programs can be adopted in future programs for effective auditory training of segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds.

Thai tonal confusion patterns in the production of L1 Chinese Zhuang students

This paper examines Thai tonal confusion patterns in two sample groups of Chinese Zhuang Students with the research hypothesis that the experimental group who possess Zhuang language experience as native speakers (C+Z) would have better tonal performance in the process of assigning tone for each lexical word than the control group who have no experience of Zhuang (C−Z). The hypothesis focuses on the C+Z′ familiarity of tone split which is a common feature of the tonal system in Tai languages as their L1 positive transfer. The tone split patterns of their L1 and L2 were explored and contrasted in the comparative Gedney’s tone box. The C+Z and the C−Z were asked to pronounce 60 words of two wordlists, one of which contained Zhuang-Thai cognates to stimulate the familiarity of their L1 tone split pattern. The findings show that Thai tonal confusion patterns in the two groups present differently. The accuracy rate of the C+Z is significantly higher than that of the C−Z overall and especially in T3 and T5. Their confusion rate on the Zhuang-Thai cognate wordlist was not higher than the non-cognate wordlist. All of the aforementioned indicates the positive transfer of the L1 Zhuang in the students’ Thai L2 tonal acquisition.

Arguments for a Privative L Tone in Northern Tepehuan

This paper proposes that Northern Tepehuan is a tonal language with just one lexical tone 'low tone' and is therefore a privative tonal system. L tone is sufficient to explain the pitch contrasts in the language and also necessary to explain the "inconsistencies" of stress assignment. Stress is normally predictable from the size of the word, from syllable-weight, and is cued by a H* intonational tone. Nonetheless, in words that do not obey the Stress-to-Weight constraint, it could be argued that stress is displaced from the heavy syllable by virtue of a high-ranked *Align(Head/Low) constraint that prohibits the placement of stress on a syllable with a lexical L. The L tone also explains why the H* intonational tone can be displaced from stressed syllables.

About Constructive Principles in “Da” by Alexander Knaifel

В статье обсуждается проблема релевантности применения термина минимализм к музыке современного отечественного композитора Александра Кнайфеля. В центре внимания находится произведение «Да» (1980) для инструментального ансамбля. Детальный анализ, сосредоточенный главным образом вокруг тембрового и звуковысотного параметров, позволил выявить существенные конструктивные закономерности музыкальной композиции. Наблюдения, сделанные в результате «внимательного чтения» текста, дополнены несколькими схемами. Стиль Кнайфеля представлен в статье сквозь призму разных музыковедческих интерпретаций, отечественных и зарубежных. The article discusses the relevance of the use of the term minimalism to the music of the contemporary Russian composer Alexander Kneifel. The main attention is paid to the analysis of the work “Yes” (1980) for the instrumental ensemble. A detailed analysis, concentrated mainly around the timbre and tonal system, made it possible to identify significant structural features of musical composition. The observations made as a result of a “close reading” of the text are supplemented by several schemes. Kneifel's style is presented in the article through the prism of various musicological interpretations, Russian and foreign.

Nuer Tonal inventory

The tonal system of Nuer has been a matter of much uncertainty. Here we present empirical evidence in favor of a three toneme system with some typologically rare features. One of them is an intriguing case of allotony based on the phonation of the vowel: the High toneme has a falling allotone over modal vowels. Moreover, the Rising toneme has four allotones: a rising, a mid, a low and a falling allotone. The falling allotone of the Rising toneme also occurs only on modal vowels in specific contexts. We suggest that some of the allotonic variation is motivated by tonal contour simplification. We also point out the role of free variation in some of the allotonic alternations, and the constraints that put limits on the free variation between allotones.

Biali

This chapter gives a brief description of the grammatical structure of Biali, an Eastern Gur language spoken in the north of the Republic of Benin. It examines major aspects of phonology (five vocalic phonemes; fifteen distinctive consonants; a tonal system contrasting high, mid, and low; syllable structure) and morphosyntax. The description of nominals highlights the noun class system consisting of fifteen classes and deverbal and denominal suffix-based derivation. Nominal compounding is characterized by the use of two or more lexemes expanded with class markers. Noun phrases, adjectives, pronouns, and numerals are also dealt with. Verbal description includes derivational processes, the TAM system, negation, focus, and adverbs.

The complexity of tone in Nubri

This paper introduces the tonal system of the amagaun dialect of Nubri. We first present an introduction to linguistic tone, with a focus on tone as it is found in Tibetan languages, before moving on to describe the tones in Samagaun Nubri monosyllables and disyllabic expressions. We conclude that the tonal system in Nubri cannot be accounted for by exclusive reference to Tibetan languages. The implication is that contact with a non-Tibetan language has played a significant role in the history of the language.