Resolving hiatus in Tonga

Authors

  • Patricia Ruramisai Mabugu University of Zimbabwe
  • Lovemore Mutonga University of Zimbabwe
  • Cathrine Sibanda University of Zimbabwe
  • Letween Syadiobhe University of Zimbabwe

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32642/.v8i2.1517

Keywords:

hiatus resolution, compensatory lengthening, secondary articulation, glide formation, vowel deletion, vowel coalescence, glide epenthesis, Tonga

Abstract

The study investigates hiatus contexts and hiatus resolution strategies in Zimbabwean Tonga. Data for this research were collected through intuition because one of the researchers is a native speaker of Tonga. The data were verified by other native speakers of Tonga. The analysis is couched within generative CV Phonology model (Clements & Keyser, 1983). The study establishes that Tonga does not allow vowel hiatus and when it occurs it is resolved by vowel deletion, secondary articulation, glide formation, glide epenthesis and vowel coalescence.These strategies do not operate haphazardly but they are motivated by different morphosyntactic and phonological environments. The study also found out that compensatory lengthening accompanies each strategy in well-defined morphosyntactic and phonological contexts. Morphosyntactically, it accompanies other hiatus resolution strategies in the verbal domain and infinitive verbs. Phonologically, compensatory lengthening accompanies other strategies when V1 is either /u/ or/i/. The major contribution of this research is typological because it adds to the Bantu literature as to how Tonga language resolves hiatus. Tonga is unique in the sense that it uses accompanying compensatory lengthening. Compensatory lengthening in Tonga occurs only in the verbal domain when V1 is either /u/or/i/.

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Author Biographies

Patricia Ruramisai Mabugu, University of Zimbabwe

Patricia Ruramisai Mabugu is a senior lecturer in the Department of Languages Literature and Culture, University of Zimbabwe. She is a theoretical linguistics whose area of specialization is the interface of Syntax and Semantics. She has published in areas such as the interface of syntax and morphology, phonological issues and most significantly has looked at the interface of language and society. She has great interests in matters to do with marginalized languages. Her interests also lies in the linguistic landscape issues which reflects on the language policy of a country and hence she also looks at onomastics. She with colleagues have looked at the varieties of Zimbabwean Sign Language and as per their research a lot still needs to be done. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship (2013-2014) in which she mooted the idea of speech pathology. This has indirectly been realized as the Department of Languages Literature and Culture is currently servicing the Degree of Audiology and Speech Therapy being offered by the College of Health Sciences. This is an indication that her research is multidisciplinary in nature. Email: trishiamabugu@gmail.com

Lovemore Mutonga, University of Zimbabwe

Lovemore Mutonga is a senior lecturer in the Department of Languages Literature and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe. His research interests are contact phonology, sociolinguistics, morpho syntax and phonology. He has published widely in these areas. He is a Ndau expert and is passionate about documenting Ndau and its various dialects and making its official status tenable. He is a member of The Ndau Language group which creates a lot of awareness pertaining to the Ndau language. Email: lovemoremutonga@gmail.com

Cathrine Sibanda , University of Zimbabwe

Cathrine Sibanda is a senior lecturer in the Department of Language Literature and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe. Her research interests are in Sociolinguistics and Psycholinguistics matters of language within multilingual societies. She is also interested in language acquisition matters from a phonological perspective. As a sociolinguists her interests also lies in the uplifting of marginalised languages. She has also published on matters pertaining to language and disability. Email: kikiruvimbo@gmail.com

Letween Syadiobhe, University of Zimbabwe

Letween Syadiobhe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Philosophy, Special Honours in Linguistics and a Master of Arts Degree in African Languages and Literature both from the University of Zimbabwe. She is currently a Full time Junior Lecturer in the Department of Languages Literature and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe. She has diversified interest pertaining to Tonga language, specifically the phonology of

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Published

2020-08-21

How to Cite

Mabugu, P. R. ., Mutonga, L. ., Sibanda , C. ., & Syadiobhe, L. . (2020). Resolving hiatus in Tonga. Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(2), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.32642/.v8i2.1517

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 2 (2019): Attitude and behavioural interventions to curb threats and enthrone an equitable and just society

Section

Articles