The distribution of ATR and interior vowels in the Macro...

The distribution of ATR and interior vowels in the Macro-Sudan Belt

Nicholas Rolle1, Matthew Faytak1, Florian Lionnet1,2

1University of California, Berkeley / 2Princeton University

1

The 91st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of AmericaJanuary 5-8, 2017

Austin, Texas

The Macro-Sudan Belt (MSB) - Güldemann (2008, 2011)

● Sudanic Belt/Northern Sub-Saharan Africa (Clements & Rialland 2008)

● Linguistic macro-area - zone of feature spread● Not strictly ‘sprachbund’

2

We aim to address:Vowel Systems of the Macro-Sudan Belt

1. How languages with a specific type of harmony - ATR harmony - are distributed across this area

2. How languages with “interior” vowels are distributed in this area Non-peripheral ɨ ʉ ɯ y ɜ ə ʌ ø ...

3. How ATR systems and interior vowels pattern with respect to each other4. How much these patterns can be attributed to independent genetic

inheritance, and how much to areal contact phenomena

We have constructed a large-scale typological database to address this

3

Findings:1. ATR harmony in the Macro-Sudan Belt is in two separate regions

West and East ATR harmony zonesA large “ATR harmony gap” in the middle

2. Central African interior vowel zoneInterior vowels (contrastive or not) are a robust feature of Central Africa

3. “ATR harmony gap” and the interior vowel zone overlap strikingly Strong areal effect within the core of the Macro-Sudan Belt Contributes towards further refinement of this macro-zone

4

Structure of today’s talk1. ALFA (Areal Linguistic Features of Africa) database2. ATR

a. Backgroundb. Our survey and findings

3. Interior vowelsa. Backgroundb. Our survey and findings

4. ATR x Interior vowels5. Discussion point 1: Are ATR and interiority antagonistic?6. Discussion point 2: Areal and genetic factors

5

1 ALFA (Areal Linguistic Features of Africa)

6

UC Berkeley Project co-ordinated under Larry Hyman

● Document range of variation along a number of dimensions in Macro-Sudan Belt● Vowel Systems, Consonant Systems, Tone, Basic Word Order

Areal Linguistic Features of Africa (ALFA)

7



Our database: 615 language varieties, emphasis on Central Africa


8



Our database: 615 language varieties, emphasis on Central Africa

Data collection for vowel inventory project:

● Brute-force search for phonological analyses in literature (avoiding wordlists in favor of phonologies, phonological sketches, etc. if possible)

● Entered vowel inventories, typological features, harmony patterns, nasality patterns, allophonic information

● Geographical data and genetic affiliation via Glottolog (Hammarström et al. 2016)● Avoided non-primary sources, e.g. PHOIBLE, World Phonotactics Database - ANU, Alphabets des

langues africaines (Hartell 1993), UPSID (Ian Maddieson), etc.


9

The corpus: Areal Linguistic Features of Africa (ALFA)All maps are plotted in R (ggmap package); maps from Google Maps

Today: working corpus (n =615)

Black circles:incomplete info 10

Presentation today - by family (n=615)

11

Family # Family # Family # Family #

Bantu 70 Nilotic 17 OBantoid 13 NBantoid 8

CSudanic 36 OtherNC 17 WMande 13 WKru 8

OtherNS 31 WChadic 17 OtherAA 12 Idomoid 7

Atlantic 26 BiuMandara 15 EChadic 10 Igboid 7

Adamawa 25 Platoid 15 Ijoid 10 Omotic 7

PotouTano 25 EMande 14 Kordofanian 10 Defoid 6

Ubangi 23 Kainji 14 DeltaCross 9 Senoufo 6

Edoid 22 OtherKwa 14 Gbe 9 Songhai 5

CGur 21 SGur 14 Jukunoid 9 Dogon 4

Grassfields 20 Gbaya 13 Surmic 9 Other 4

2 ATR harmony

12

ATR harmonyRobustly described and analyzed feature of African phonological systems

Advanced Tongue Root (ATR)Retracted Tongue Root (RTR) Degema [Edoid: Nigeria][Expanded] [Non-expanded] (Kari 2007) - 10 V system/i e ɜ o u/ or /i e a o u/ /ɪ ɛ a ɔ ʊ/ or /i e a o u/

13



Phonetic correlates- Articulatorily, [+ATR] have advancement of tongue root widening pharyngeal cavity- Auditorily, [+ATR] vowels canonically have lower first formant frequency (F1) than their

[-ATR] counterparts- F1 also primary cue for tongue height: convention of [e] (+ATR) vs. [ɛ] (-ATR)

- Casali (2008:510) - [ATR] may additionally be cued through voice quality- [+ATR] : ‘breathy’, ‘deep’, ‘muffled’, or ‘hollow’ quality- [-ATR] : ‘bright’, ‘choked’, ‘brassy’, or ‘creaky’

14



ATR harmonyVowel cooccurrence constraints in roots - Static patternsATR + vune /βune/ ‘slit stomach and take out intestines’ (*vunɛ)RTR - mure /mʊrɛ/ ‘light (a fire’) (*mʊre)

Allomorphy - Dynamic patternsATR duw ‘be soft’ > duw-ese ‘cause to be soft’ [duw-ese] (*[duw-ɛsɛ])RTR sı n ‘climb > sin-ese ‘cause to climb’ [sɪn-ɛsɛ] (*[sɪn-ese])

15

Güldemann 2008 on ATR distribution

16

Güldemann 2008 on ATR distribution

17

Clements & Rialland (2008)

18

Summarize the occurrence of ATR harmony in their corresponding Sudanic belt

They observe notable absence of ATR harmony among:

● Atlantic (families) ● Gbe (within Kwa family)● Defoid (e.g. Yoruba, Itsekiri)● Nigerian Middle Belt:

Idomoid, Platoid, Jukunoid● Bantoid/Northwestern Bantu languages

(zones A–D)● Adamawa-Ubangi (except Zandic)

Wikimedia

Dimmendaal 2001Small sample of the distribution of ATR across Africa

Strict criteria for ATR

Dimmendaal (2001) shows a nearly continuous band from Senegal at the Atlantic to Ethiopia/S-Sudan/Kenya

19

Dimmendaal 2001Can be divided into:

West African ATR zone

East African ATR zone

20

Dimmendaal 2001Can be divided into:

West African ATR zone

East African ATR zone

21

Dimmendaal 2001ATR-free zones:

Atlantic-Mande ATR-Less Zone

Central ATR-less Zone

22

Casali (2003, 2008)

23

Our strict definition of ATR

24

Strict ATR system: - Phonologically or phonetically multiple heights - 9 or more vowels- Clear cross-height ATR harmony- Requires both static and dynamic patterns

Cross-height ATR harmony

Recall Degema example above

Static patternsATR + vune /βune/ ‘slit stomach and take out intestines’ (*vunɛ)RTR - mure /mʊrɛ/ ‘light (a fire’) (*mʊre)

Dynamic patternsATR duw ‘be soft’ > duw-ese ‘cause to be soft’ [duw-ese] (*[duw-ɛsɛ])RTR sı n ‘climb > sin-ese ‘cause to climb’ [sɪn-ɛsɛ] (*[sɪn-ese])

25

Strict ATR - Cross-height but not phonemic

[ɪ] [ʊ]

[e] [o]

26


[ɪ] [ʊ]

[e] [o]

27

Kakwa [keo] (Onziga & Gilley 2012)

i ɪ e ɛ a ɔ o ʊ u

pirı ‘place’

wɪrɪ ‘song’ - lɛmɛ

‘grass type’’mata ‘chief’

mɔkɔ ‘leg’ -- mʊgʊ

‘body’puʈu ‘dust


[ɪ] [ʊ]

[e] [o]

28

Kakwa [keo] (Onziga & Gilley 2012)

i ɪ e ɛ a ɔ o ʊ u

pirı ‘place’

wɪrɪ ‘song’ - lɛmɛ

‘grass type’’mata ‘chief’

mɔkɔ ‘leg’ -- mʊgʊ

‘body’puʈu ‘dust

Cf. [pıre] /pirɛ/‘fatten’[opu] /ɔpu/‘corpse’

Trace ATR systems

29

Phonologically 7 vowels with no apparent phonetic counterparts

Trace ATR systems

30

“Trace” ATR system: mid height restriction (*[e…ɛ]) but no (or nearly no) cross-height patterns involving root or affixal allomorphy

√ i...e i...o √ u...e u...o√ i…ɛ i...ɔ √ u...ɛ u...ɔ ← No cross-height harmony* e...ɛ e...ɔ * o...ɛ o...ɔ* ɛ...e ɛ...o * ɔ...e ɔ...o ← Mid co-occurrence restriction

Trace ATR systems

31

“Trace” ATR system: mid height restriction (*[e…ɛ]) but no (or nearly no) cross-height patterns involving root or affixal allomorphy

√ i...e i...o √ u...e u...o√ i…ɛ i...ɔ √ u...ɛ u...ɔ ← No cross-height harmony* e...ɛ e...ɔ * o...ɛ o...ɔ* ɛ...e ɛ...o * ɔ...e ɔ...o ← Mid co-occurrence restriction

Trace systems with only static co-occurrence restrictions in rootsGbeya *(e/o…ɛ/ɔ)√root

*(ɛ/ɔ...e/o)√root

Samarin (1966:50) notes demonstrative {-ɛ} does not alternatea a yor-ɛ “there he stands nearby”

ATR harmony in ALFA

Strict ATR 193 (31%)“Trace” ATR 119 (19%)No ATR 303 (49%) 32

ATR harmony in ALFA

33

Strict ATR 193 (31%)“Trace” ATR 119 (19%)No ATR 303 (49%)

ATR harmony in ALFA

34


ATR harmony in ALFA

35


ATR harmony in ALFA

36


ATR harmony in ALFA

37


ATR harmony in ALFA

38


ATR harmony in ALFA

39


ATR harmony in ALFA

40


ATR harmony in ALFA

41


ATR harmony in ALFA

42


No ATR: Central African Zone

43


3 Interior vowels

44

Our definition of “interior” in the vowel space

45

E.g. Kejom (Babanki)

(Akumbu & Fogwe 2012)

i tʃi ‘in-law’e tʃe ‘minimize’ɨ tʃɨ ‘hearth’ʉ tʃʉ ‘spit’ə tʃə ‘kick’u kəntʃu ‘wildcat sp.’o tʃo ‘pass’

Thomas et al. 1972 (1973?)

Red outlines = languages with interior vowels46

Thomas et al. 1972: interior vowels

Interior vowels in ALFA

47

IV, phonemic 187 30%IV, non-phonemic 65 11%[+ATR, +low] V only 65 11%No IV 298 48%


48



49


3 ATR Harmony x Interior Vowels

50

Mapping ATR x Interiority: “strict” interiorityNo allophony, no epenthesis, no reduction, no [+ATR] low V

ATR and IV ATR, no IV

No ATR, IV No ATR, no IV

∆ = +ATR +low V51

Mapping ATR x Interiority: “liberal” interiorityWith allophony, epenthesis, reduction

52



∆ = +ATR +low V

Take-away: little ATR where there are IVNigeria-Cameroon Border to edge of Sudan/South Sudan

53



∆ = +ATR +low V

4 Discussion 1: Are ATR and IV antagonistic?

54

Location of co-occurrence clustersAtlantic/Senegal; Kru/Mande; Ghana-Togo; Southern Nigeria; Lake Chad; Nuba Mountains; South Sudan

55



∆ = +ATR +low V

ATR and IV infrequently coexistGuiberoua Bété (Kru: Côte d’Ivoire) Dan Santa (Mande: Côte d’Ivoire)

-ATR Front Interior Back

+ i ɨ u

- ɪ ʉ ʊ

+ e ə o

- ɛ ʌ ɔ

Ø a

- (Marchese 1978:61)- kpɨ3 ‘chaises’- kpʉ4 ‘huile’- kpə3 ‘chaise’- pʌ4 ‘jeter’- kpa4 ‘banco’

ATR Front Interior Back

N/A i ɯ u

N/A ɪ ʊ ʊ

N/A e ɤ o

N/A ɛ ʌ ɔ

N/A æ a ɑ

Marchese (1978) Vydrine (2004)

56

Also present in Central and Northeastern AfricaKanembu (Saharan: Chad) Tima (Kordofanian: Sudan)

-ATR Front Central Back

+ i ɨ u

- ɪ ɘ ʊ

+ e ʌ o

- ɛ a ɔ

ATR and IV infrequently coexist

ATR Front Central Back

+ i ɨ u

- ɪ ʉ ʊ

+ e ə o

- ɛ ʌ ɔ

Ø a

Jouannet (1982) Alamin Mubarak (2004)

57

χ2 = 41.699, p < 0.001

Pearson’s Chi-squared tests are all highly significant: ATR and IV are not independent (meaning here: fewer languages with both ATR and interior vowels than expected by chance)

58

Strict ATR, Strict Int.

χ2 = 74.927, p < 0.001

Lib. ATR, Strict Int.

Yes IV No IV

Yes ATR 30 163

No ATR 222 200

χ2 = 73.691, p < 0.001

Strict ATR, Lib. Int.

χ2 = 118.39, p < 0.001

Lib. ATR, Lib. Int.

Yes IV No IV

Yes ATR 61 251

No ATR 191 112

Yes IV No IV

Yes ATR 45 267

No ATR 142 161

Yes IV No IV

Yes ATR 24 169

No ATR 163 259

ATR and IV infrequently coexist

5 Discussion 2: Genetic versus areal factors

59

Areal Alignment - Benue-Congo / Bantoid / Bantu- Benue-Congo

located towards West

- +ATR / -IV- Grassfields

Bantoid/Jukunoid/Platoid

- -ATR/+IV

- Bantu spread zone

- Bantu A/B/C- -ATR (Trace)/-IV 60



- +ATR / -IV

- Grassfields Bantoid/Jukunoid/Platoid

- -ATR/+IV- Bantu spread

zone- Bantu A/B/C- -ATR (Trace)/-IV 61



- +ATR / -IV


- -ATR/+IV

- Bantu spread zone

- Bantu A/B/C- -ATR (Trace)/-IV 62



- +ATR / -IV


- -ATR/+IV

- Bantu spread zone

- Mbam : +ATR- Bantu D: +ATR 63

Areal Alignment - Ubangi [Niger-Congo Phylum]

64

Ubangi [NC] n %

ATR

Yes 3 13%

Trace 8 35%

No 12 52%

Interior

Strict Yes 9 39%

Weak Yes 2 9%

Only Interior = +ATR /a/ 3 13%

No 9 39%

Total 23 100%

Areal Alignment - Ubangi- Zandic/Sereic

- +ATR, -IV

65


- +ATR, -IV

- Banda: - -ATR, + IV

66


- +ATR, -IV

- Banda: - -ATR, + IV

- Ubangi languages towards South/West

- -ATR, -IV

67

Areal Alignment - Central Sudanic [Nilo Saharan]

68

Central-Sudanic [NS] n %

ATR

Yes 16 44%

Trace 2 6%

No 18 50%

Interior

Strict Yes 6 17%

Weak Yes 13 36%

Only Interior = +ATR /a/ 5 14%

No 12 33%

Total 36 100%

Areal Alignment - Central Sudanic [Nilo Saharan]-Proto Central-Sudanic was probably spoken in the East ATR zone (Ehret 1979, a.o.)

- Migrations of Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi (branch of Central-Sudanic - Boyeldieu 2006)

69

6 Conclusion

70

Conclusions1. ATR harmony in the Macro-Sudan Belt is in two separate regions (W and E)

2. There is a large “ATR harmony gap” in Central Africa

3. There is a large Central African interior vowel zone (contrastive or not)

4. The ATR harmony gap and the interior vowel zone overlap, possibly due to a more general tendency for ATR and interior vowels to not co-occur

71

Conclusions: more speculativeGets at question of whether ATR and IV are actually antagonistic

Does gaining central vowels (through drift, allophony) lead to the breakdown of regularity of ATR alternations?

Do ATR systems breaking down lead to the possible development of IVs?

Some plausible pathways (not necessarily unidirectional):

ATR loss before interior gain Stage 1 - Stage 2 - Stage 3 /i ɪ u ʊ/ /i u/ /i ɨ u/

Interior gain before ATR loss Stage 1 - Stage 2 - Stage 3 /i ɪ u ʊ/ /i ɪ ɨ ɘ u ʊ/ /i ɨ u/ATR directly to interior Stage 1 - Stage 2 /i ɪ u ʊ/ /i ɨ u/

72

THANKSAcknowledgments: Larry Hyman, Peter Jenks, Jack Merrill, and the rest of the ALFA team; Emily Clem

and Lev Michael; Jeremy Steffman

Samuel Akinbo, Mercy Akrofi-Ansah, Pius Wuchu Akumbu, Roger Blench, Bruce Connell, Rebecca Cover, Kathryn Franich, Jeff Good, Otelemate Harry, Dmitry Idiatov, Viktoria Kempf, Roland Kiessling, Constance Kutsch-Lojenga, Sabine Littig, Lynell Marchese Zogbo, Marieke Martin, Stuart McGill, Maarten Mous, Ken Olson, Sharon Rose, Bonny Sands, Anne Storch, Mark van de Velde, Audiences at ACAL47 and CALL 2016, Glottolog (Harald Hammarström, Robert Forkel, Martin Haspelmath, Sebastian Bank), and many more for individual language data points

References are available by request

73

Other areal features of C. AfricaClause final negation (V-O-X-Neg) VO & VNeg (Dryer 2009)

The distribution of ATR and interior vowels in the Macro...

Documents

Transcript of The distribution of ATR and interior vowels in the Macro...