Impact of Phonological Processes of Vowel Shortening on Standard Kiswahili
Keywords:
Phonological process, vowel shortening, standard Kiswahili, languageAbstract
This work examines the vowel shortening processes that take place initially, bmedially or finally in Kiswahili. The general objective of this study is to describe the extent to which these phonological processes result in vowel shortening. It uses extended models of generative phonology as a theoretical framework. A quick examination of a random sampling of words and/or morpheme tends to suggest that different languages have phonological processes that determine well-formed sound sequences and combinations. To this effect, within a phonological system, a language has restrictions that inhibit the appearance of succession of two vowels. In most cases, lengthened vowels in standard Kiswahili are not acceptable at the surface level, thus necessitating employing a process of vowel shortening. Vowel shortening is one of the strategies that are employed in order to yield an acceptable form of standard Kiswahili. It is concluded that the surface representations that we observe in most of the lexicons are subject to well-formed conditions which include, inter alia, vowel shortening.
References
Ashton, E. (2001). Swahili Grammar. London: Longman House Press.
Campbell, L. (1999).Historical Linguistics: An Introduction. New York: The
MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic Structures. Cambridge, Massachussets: M. I. T.
Press.
Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of syntax. Cambridge, Massachussets:
M. I. T. Press.
Clements, G. N. (1984). Compensatory Lengthening and Consonant Germination
in Luganda. Unpublished Paper submitted to University of Dar es Salaam,
Dar es Salaam.
Crystal, D. (2008). A first Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Malden,
Massachussets: Blackwell Publishing.
Chomsky, N. and Halle M. (1968). Sound Pattern of English. New York: Harper
and Row.
Guthrie, M. (1967). The Classification of Bantu Languages. London: Dawsons
of Pall Mall.
Hayman, L. M. (1975). Phonology: Theory and Analysis. New York: Rinehart
and Winston.
LOT, Lexical Questionnaire (2003). Languages of Tanzania Project. Dar es
Salaam: University of Dar-es-salaam.
Maganga, C. (1992). A study of the morphophonology of Standard Kiswahili,
Kipemba, Kitumbatu and Kimakunduchi. Ph.D unpublished dissertation
submitted to University of Dares salaam, Dar es Salaam.
Maho, J. F. (2008). Indices to Bantu languages. Studies in African linguistics,
n. 73. München: Lincom Europa.
Massamba, D. P. B. (1987a).The Effect of Language Modernization on the
Phonological System of the Kiswahili Language. KISWAHILI: Vol.54/1&2,
pp 142-151. Dar es Salaam: IKR.
Massamba, D. P. B. (1989b). An Assessment of the Development and
Modernization of the Kiswahili Language in Tanzania. In Coulmas F. (ed)
Language Adaptation. pp 60-78. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Massamba, D. P. B. (2004). Fonolojia ya Kiswahili Sanifu. Dar es Salaam:
TUKI.
Massamba, D. P. B. (2010). Phonological Theory: Historical and Development.
Dar es Salaam: TUKI,Tanzania.
Massamba, D. P. B. (2011). Maendeleo katika Nadharia ya Fonolojia. Dar es
Salaam: Taasisi ya Taaluma za Kiswahili,Tanzania.
Massamba, D. P. B. (2017). Historia ya Kiswahili:Mtazamo Mpya 100KK hadi
BK. Kiswahili Development Limited, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
TUKI (2013). Kamusi ya Kiswahili Sanifu. Dar es Salaam: Oxford University
Press.
Whitely, W. H. (1956). KIMTANG’ATA: A dialect of the Mrima CoastTanganyika. Kampala: East African Swahili Committee.
Whitely, W. H. (1959). An Introduction to the Rural Dialects of Zanzaibar. Part
S WAHILI: Vol. 30:41-70.
