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Examples: |
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Metathesis is a regular phonological
process in Sidamo. It systematically occurs before suffixes beginning
with /n/, the only suffix-initial sonorant in the language. A root-final
obstruent and a following nasal metathesize, and the nasal is realized as
homorganic with the adjacent obstruent. Similar patterns are observed
in Darasa, Gedeo, Hadiyya and Kambata with different, noncognate
suffixes.
| Input |
Output |
Gloss |
| hab+nemmo |
hambemmo |
we forget |
| gud+nonni |
gundonni |
they finished |
| ag+no |
aNgo |
let’s drink |
| has+nemmo |
hansemmo |
we look for |
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Conditions: |
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No data currently available. |
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Motivation: |
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Syllable Contact/Sonority:
Vennemann (1988) proposes that metathesis in Sidamo serves to create a better
syllable contact, whereby a coda is more sonorous than the following onset.
See also Rice (1992) in which sonority is formally represented in terms of
geometric tree structure. In Rice's proposed model of feature organization,
the structural representation of the more sonorous nasal consonant is more
complex than that of the obstruent: the nasal has an SV node linked to the
Root node, while an obstruent lacks an SV node. It is proposed that metathesis
in Sidamo is motivated by an ill-formed structural relationship between the
rhyme and onset consonant: the right-hand segment must not be more sonorous
than the preceding consonant. In order to satisfy this requirement,
the SV node of the rightmost segment delinks from the Root node and reassociates
to the Root node of the preceding segment. Thus, the first segment
is realized as nasal and the second as oral; no change in other features
is proposed. [Note that a change in manner (e.g. continuancy, stridency)
may also be required to yield the correct ouput when the change involved
is /sn/ -> [ns]. -- web editor's note.]
Perceptual Optimization:
Hume (1998, 2000) argues that metathesis serves to enhance the overall
perceptibility of the segments in the sequence and, in turn, strengthen
paradigmatic and syntagmatic contrast. By positioning the obstruents,
particularly stop consonants, in prevocalic position, the phonetic cues
to the consonant's place of articulation are more perceptible. There
is no place contrast for the suffixal nasal consonants regardless of whether
the nasal occurs in prevocalic or preconsonantal position (place of articulation
is systematically neutralized for nasal consonants in preconsonantal position
in the language) so no place information is lost by positioning the nasal
before the obstruent.
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Related processes: |
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No data currently available. |
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Comments: |
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Special Symbols:
N= velar nasal consonant
Last updated: 9/13/2000
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References: |
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Hudson, Grover. 1975. Suppletion
in the Representation of Alternations. PhD dissertation. UCLA.
Hudson, Grover. 1995. Phonology
of Ethiopian Languages. In John Goldsmith (ed.), Handbook of Phonological
Theory. Oxford: Blackwell. 782-797.
Hume, Elizabeth. 1998. The Role
of Perceptibility in Consonant/Consonant Metathesis. In Blake, Susan, Eun-Sook
Kim, and Kimary Shahin (eds.), WCCFL XVII Proceedings. Stanford: CSLI. 293-307.
Hume, Elizabeth. 2000. Metathesis:
Data, Motivation and Phonological Theory. In E. Hume, N. Smith & J. van
de Weijer, Surface Syllable Structure and Segment Ordering. Leiden, NL: HIL.
Rice, Keren. 1992. On Deriving
Sonority: A Structural Account of Sonority Relationships. Phonology 9. 61-99.
Vennemann, Theo, 1988. Preference
Laws for Syllable Structure. Berlin: Mouton.
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