Metathesis in Language 2.0

Lama

Language Family
Niger-Congo
Subgroup
Gur
Area
—

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.

Type(s) of metathesis

Type Status Optionality Position Location
a. CV Synchronic Obligatory Adjacent Between root and suffix

Case types and qualities

Examples

hom ---> 'pull' ---> i hoõ ---> 's/he is pulling'
nam ---> 'grind' ---> i nôõ ---> 's/he is grinding'
kpem ---> 'go home' ---> i kpôõ ---> 's/he is going home'

Metathesis rule (Ourso, 1989): CVm-u(1 2 3 4) ---> CVum (1 2 4 3)

Conditions

No conditions could be found

Motivations

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 (hôm 'to pull' & *i hôm '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'.

Symbols

V̂ = falling tone marker

V́ = high tone marker

Comments

Bibliography

  • Ourso, Meterwa. 1989. Lama Phonology and Morphology. Ph. D. dissertation. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.