Phonological Descriptions of Sabah Languages

11 Pages·1993·0.47 MB·English

by  Boutin, Michael E.

PHONEMES
2
.
Therearctwenty-two segmentalphonemesin Bonggi;^ seventeen consonantsAk?b
d g $ sd3 m nji g 1 r w y/ and five vowels /i u e o a/. Stress is non-contrastive, but
length iscontrastive.
Michaele. Boutin
Front Central Back
High u
i
Mid e o
Low a
2.1 Description of the phonemes
24»1 Consonants
/t/ [tl voicelessunreleosedalveolarplosive;OCCUISWOrd-finally:
/miqgat/ ['nflggaf] *tochewbetel nut'
/kimuat/ [kyi'm^uSf] *toask'
Q] voicelessdentalplosive;occursbeforefrontvowels:
/tilug/ ['{ilogT 'egg'
/timbEtuid/ [Jimbg'tuidT 'typeofsnake'
[t] voicelessalveolarplosive; occurselsewhere:
/datag/ ['datsgT 'floor'
Aolu/ ['tolul 'three'
/k/ [kT voicelessunreleasedvelarplosive;occursword-finally:
/louk/ ['lo^kl 'fish'
/manuk/ ['mSnak"] 'chicken'
[kV] voicelesspalatalizedvelarplosive; occursbeforefrontvowels:
/kiou/ [kyi'o"] 'wood'
/kiara/ [kViVa] 'tohave'
[k^ voicelesslabializedvelarplosive;occursbeforebackvowels:
/ku/ [k^u] 'my'
/korir)/ ['k^orikT)] *dry'
[h] voicelessglottal fricative; occursword-mediallybetween vowelsandword-
initially in functors when the preceding word ends in a vowel or a glottal
plosive:
/mokon/ ['m^Shodn] 'toeat'
/odukina/ [*odu 'hinSj 'earliertoday'
/nda?kai/ ['nds?ha']-- ['nda? he'] 'notalso'
[k] voicelessvelarplosive;occurselsewhere:
/kEtaan/ [k3'ta:dn] 'holdout'
/kaa*/ ['ka:pT 'able'
ni P] glottalplosive; contrastiveonly word-finally:
/modu?/ ['m^5du?] 'far*
/mola?/ ['m3b?] 'to splitopen'
108
Bonggi Phonemics
/b/ [bl vbicedimreleasedbilabialplosive;occursword-finally:
/kEloubaka/ [ko'lo^^ 'aho] 'donotfall'
[p] voicedbilabialfiricative;occursword-mediallybetweenvowels:
/kaba?/ [IcaPa?] •crab*
/kibut/ ['kyijJutT 'largejar*
[b^ voicedlabializedbilabialplosive;occursbeforebackvowels:
/buid/ [^b^uid] 'Ihil]'
/boros/ ['b^DfDs] 'noise'
[b]' voicedbilabialplosive;occurselsewhere:
/bituun/ [bi'tu:dn] 'star'
161 [S^ voicedumeleasedalveolarplosive;occursword-finally:
/loud/ ['lo^d^l 'sea'
[41 voiceddentalplosive; occursbeforefrontvowels:
/qondi?/ ['g^oncji?] 'tothrowaway'
/diaan/ [^i'adn] 'me'
[dd voicedalveolarplosive;occurselsewhere:
/gibiin/ [gyi'pi:dn] 'afternoon'
/daiiV ['dakln] 'trail'
/g/ [gl voicedunreleasedvelarplosive;occursword-finally:
/biag/ ['biogl 'full; satisfied'
W] voicedpalatalizedvelarplosive;occursbeforefrontvowels:
/gibag/ ['gyibskq] 'left'
/borjgi/ [^b^oggyi] 'Bonggi'
[g^ voicedlabializedvelarplosive;occursbeforebackvowels:
/gula?/ ['g^ub?] 'sugar'
/goun/ ['g^o^dn] 'smoke'
[g] voicedvelarplosive;occurselsewhere:
/gambar/ ['gambar] 'picture'
/ogas/ ['3g3s] 'rice'
/$/ [pT voicelessunreleasedbilabialplosive;occursword-finally:
/kira#/ ['kyirap^] 'eyelash'
[p] voicelessbilabialplosive; occursinhomorganicconsonantclusters:
/kHlim$gitdaffiaf/ [kajim'peU'*damar] 'atypeofviper'
l^^ml [m*panu] 'towalk'
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Michael £. Boutin
[^] voicelessbilabialfricative;occurselsewhere!^
/tu$i/ [*tu$i] 'squiner
/$intu?/ ['$intu?] 'door'
/|Eg^a/ [4>9S'^3] 'whenitwasfinished'
/s/ [§] voicelessdentalcentral fricative;occursbeforefrontvowels:
/simbeit/ [§im1)eHT 'loincloth*
/i^
ina/ ['i^u^ 'in3] 'thattail'
[s] voicelessalveolarcentralfricative; occurselsewhere:
/sara^ ['saropT 'early'
/sumuka/ [su'muhd] 'to vomit'
Ms/ [d3] voicedpalato-alveolaraffricate;occurssyllable-initially:^
/dsimbaiaiV [d3im*bat9dn] 'pier'
/had3u?/ [*bad3u?] 'shirt'
/m/ [m] voiced bilabial syllabic nasal; occurs word-initially before homorganic
consonants:
/mmonsu?/ [m*m^5nsu?] 'tobathesomeone'
[bm] voicedbilabialpre-plodednasal;occursword-finallyinnon-nasalsyllables:
/gandum/ ['gandobm] 'com'
[m^
voicedlabializedbilabialnasal;occursbeforebackvowels:
/mukat/ ['m^uhotl 'to fish with net'
[m] voicedbilabialnasal;occurselsewhere:
/mien/ ['ml§n] 'aunt'
onom/ ['onSmJ 'six'
M
[q] voiceddentalnasal;occursbeforefrontvowels:
/tuni/ ['tuiji] 'body'
/nimbak/ ['rjlmbokT 'toshoot'
There are threeexceptions in the distribution ofthe allophones of/$/. Theword/^t/['put']
'anemptymilktinused as ameasurementforrice* is neverpronounced with a [$]. This isa
borrowing. Likewise/$in/['pidn] 'pin' is borrowed andnotja^onounced with a[^]. Thereisone
apparently indigenous word which contains [p] word-medially between vowels, /ku^uun/
[k*u'pu:dnj 'early evening (about7 p.m.)*. No explanation is offered for this anomaly. Names
also vary with respect to [p] vs. [$]. Names fall into the categoryofwhat Pike (1947:142-3)
calls over-differentiated phonemes. Pike (1947:143) suggests that over-differentiated
phonemes could be handled as extra-systemic phonemes.
The allophone [$] occurs much more frequently than the allophone [p]. When
distribution and frequency are given more weight than pattern congruity the voiceless bilabial
must be the fricative /$/ and not the plosive */p/. Jacobson (1979:141) points out that the
strong phone in the South Mindanaoan family is [^] or [f]-
^/d3imbatan/is pronounced [gyim'batadn] by some speakers. This is ftirtherevidencethat/dj/
has phonemic status only in loan words. English engine isrealized as [*r)gyidn]. Malay
rajin 'hard working' isrealized as ['ragyidn]. Idyis arecent addition to theBonggi phonemic
system.
110
Bonggi Phonemics
[p] voiced alveolar syllabic nasal; occurs word-initially before alveolar and
palato-alveolarconsonants:
^nula?/ [p'nuls?] 'tocriticize'
^d3aa^^/ [n'd3a;bm] 'tospendtimetalking*
[dn] voicedalveolarpre-plodednasal;occursword-finallyinnon-nasalsyllables:
Aibasan/ [ti'pasodn] 'tocut'
[n] voicedalveolarnasal;occurselsewhere:
/mirjin/ [*mTr)ym] 'towant'
/bansuk/ [*bansokl 'postsforhouse'
Ij^ tji] voicedpalatalnasal;occursword-initially:
4^u/ [IpCi] *your(plural)'
Ipawzl [^lawS] 'soul'
/g/ [rff] voicedpalatalizedvelarnasal;occursbeforefrontvowels:
Ajindakad/ [gyfai'dahadT 'toclimb'
A)ira?/ ['gytfo?] *toteach'
[t^ voicedlabializedvelarnasal;occursbeforebackvowels:
^ulud3um/ [g^u1ud3obm] 'tolie'
/QokoV ['g^ShoI] 'tobite'
[g] voiced velar syllabic nasal; occurs word-initially before homorganic
consonants:
Ajgait/ [gWn 'towait'
Dq)] voicedvelarpre-plodednasal;occursword-finallyinnon-nasalsyllables:
/bElatug/ Rw'latokij] 'beans'
[g] voicedvelarnasal;occurselsewhere:
y^jali/ ['ga]i] 'todig*
/dgaag/ [ti'oa:q] 'scorpion'
N
Q] voiceddentallateral;occursbeforeboatvowels:
/bali/ [Ijali] 'house'
/katalidugku/ [IcataJ 'idokgk^u] 'mynoseitches'
[1] voicedalveolarlateral;occurselsewhere:
/ka^al/ [Ica^al] 'boat'
/louk/ [lo^T 'fish'
/r/ [f] voicedalveolarflap:
/niub/ ['ru:b] 'tide'
/kErobi/ [ks'ropi] « [ko'repi] 'lastnight'
/baar/ [*ba:f] 'true;sure'
/w/ [w] voicedroundedlabiovelarsemivowel:
/walu?/ [*walu7] 'eight'
/^wa/ ['jiawS] 'soul'
111
Michael E. Boutin
/y/ [yl voicedunroundedpalatalsemivowel;occurssyllable-initially:
/ku$uyu?/ [kV$uyu?] 'smallclothbag*
/minyen/ ['mlnygn] 'soo/daughter-in-law*
2.1.2 Vowels
The classification ofBonggi vowels is based on the function ofvowels in different
types ofsyllables. Syllablesconsistofan optionalonsetandarime(=core),andtherime
consistsofanucleus(=peak)andanoptionalmargin(=coda) (Hyman 1985:1).
Therearetwotypesofsyllables: hghtand heavy (cf. sec. 3). Bonggi treatsasyllable
whose rime has a short vowel as light and a syllable whose rime has a long vowel or
diphthongasheavy,regardlessofwhetherthesyllableisclosedbyaconsonantornot(cf.
Hyman 1985:5).
Heavysyllablesonlyoccurword-finally,arealways stressed,andarerestrictedtoone
per word (cf. sec. 2.4). Words oftwo or more syllables which lack heavy syllables are
alwaysstressedonthepenultimatesyllable.
Fivevowelscontrastin light, stressed syllables:
/i/ ['mlli?] 'tochose'
['m51ik'] *again(pasty
['maliki *again'
['m61i] 'tobuy*
['muji?] 'toreturn home*
Bonggi Phonemics
However, there isno way, on internal grounds, to know in unaffixedcases what the
underlying vowel is. The archiphoneme avoids the arbitrary choice ofone ofthe non-
high vowels (cf. Sampson 1980:108), e.g.:
/tE.li.i)a/ [taliijo] 'ear*
/tE.naak/ [t9'ni:kl 'personwhosefirstchilddiedoutsidewomb'
There are two types ofheavy syllables. The first type contains long vowels. Four
vowelscontrastin long, heavy syllables, e.g.:
I'll /kiid/ [W•kyMi:dT *see' (cf./ki.dan/ ["kVidodn] 'seeCPF)')
/a/ /di.aa/ *land' (cf./di.a/ ['^yia] *theie')
/u/ /$uun/ ['$u:dn] 'tree* (cf./$un/ [^udn] 'also'
/o/ /rjE.loos/ [r)9'b:s] "clearundeibrush'
(cf. /lo.son/ ['bsodn] 'clearunderbrush(PF)*)
The second typeofheavy syUablecontains diphthongs. The peak ofsonority is on
thefirstvowel, which is slightly lengthened,and the second vowel serves asan offglide.
The slight length or half-length is not marked in the phonetic data because stressed
syllablesarealwayslongerthanunstressedsyllables,e.g.:
/ai/
Michael E. Boutin
Ught
heavy
Bonggi Phonemics
Thephoneme/o/occursin thefinal syllableofawordonly when itis long(forming
the nucleus ofa heavy syllable), orwhen thepenultimate syllable nucleus is also/o/, as
in thefollowing forms:
Ano.dop/
['cm