Database
Lama
(Region of Kande, Lama, Benin, Ghana; Niger-Congo, Gur)
Summary:
To account for the alternations between the segments of the root and those of the progressive suffix ku in CVm roots, Ourso (1989) introduces a metathesis rule.
Summary:
To account for the alternations between the segments of the root and those of the progressive suffix ku in CVm roots, Ourso (1989) introduces a metathesis rule.
Examples:
hom ---> 'pull' ---> i hoo~ ---> 's/he is pulling'
nam ---> 'grind' ---> i no^o~ ---> 's/he is grinding'
kpem ---> 'go home' ---> i kpo^o~ ---> 's/he is going home'
Metathesis rule (Ourso, 1989): CVm-u(1 2 3 4) ---> CVum (1 2 4 3)
hom ---> 'pull' ---> i hoo~ ---> 's/he is pulling'
nam ---> 'grind' ---> i no^o~ ---> 's/he is grinding'
kpem ---> 'go home' ---> i kpo^o~ ---> 's/he is going home'
Metathesis rule (Ourso, 1989): CVm-u(1 2 3 4) ---> CVum (1 2 4 3)
Conditions:
No information currently available.
No information currently available.
Motivation:
a. Ourso (1989)
a. Ourso (1989)
- In the progressive formation, k-deletion creates the right environment for the deletion of the vowel /u/ in the CVm roots (i hom-ku --> i hom-u).
- If the vowel /u/ deletes in the progressive form, the infinitive and the progressive forms of the CVm verbs will be structurally the same at the surface representation (ho^m 'to pull' & *i ho^m 'he is pulling').
- Metathesis is motivated by the nondeletion of the progressive sufixal vowel which cannot attach to the root final labial /m/ as evidenced by the behavior of the infinitive suffix 'u'.
Related Information:
a. /k/ deletion: The velar stop of the suffix deletes after a root final unrounded vowel or a root final consonant.
cf. no /k/ deletion
so' ---> 'lift' ---> i so'ku' ---> 's/he is lifting'
to' ---> 'catch' ---> i to'ku' ---> 's/he is catching'
b. /u/ deletion: The infinitive suffix 'u' deletes in CVm verbs.
hom, 'pull', hom-u' ---> ho^m, 'to pull'
cf. pe'l 'cut' pe'lu^ 'to cut'
c. Derivation of progressive forms
a. /k/ deletion: The velar stop of the suffix deletes after a root final unrounded vowel or a root final consonant.
| imperative simple | imperative continuous | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| sa | 'cook' | saa | 'keep cooking' |
| fal | 'winnow' | falu | 'keep winnowing' |
cf. no /k/ deletion
so' ---> 'lift' ---> i so'ku' ---> 's/he is lifting'
to' ---> 'catch' ---> i to'ku' ---> 's/he is catching'
b. /u/ deletion: The infinitive suffix 'u' deletes in CVm verbs.
hom, 'pull', hom-u' ---> ho^m, 'to pull'
cf. pe'l 'cut' pe'lu^ 'to cut'
c. Derivation of progressive forms
| /hom-ku/ | /nam-ku/ | /kpem-ku/ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| /k/ deletion | hom-u | nam-u | kpem-u |
| metathesis | houm | naum | kpeum |
| height assimilation | hoom | naom | kpeom |
| round assimilation | --- | noom | kpoom |
| nasal assimilation | ho~o~m | no~o~m | kpo~o~m |
| nasal deletion | ho~o~ | no~o~ | kpo~o~ |
Symbols:
^ = falling tone marker
o~ = nasalized 'o'
' = high tone marker
Last Updated: 6/14/2007
^ = falling tone marker
o~ = nasalized 'o'
' = high tone marker
Last Updated: 6/14/2007
References:
- Ourso, Meterwa. 1989. Lama Phonology and Morphology. Ph. D. dissertation. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.