Consonant type and consonantal effects on tone in Musey

Abstract

In Musey, a Chadic language of northern Cameroon, the tonal pattern of a word is partly predictable from the initial consonant of the word. There are two series of obstruents and two h's that contrast word initially. One series is associated with low initial tone, the other with high or midtone; there are, however, minimal pairs which indicate that the initial consonantal contrast in Musey is independent of the tonal contrast. Consonantally conditioned alternations in tone in other languages have been associated with voiced and voiceless consonants or breathy voiced consonants. However, preliminary studies of the acoustic nature of the Musey contrast have shown no systematic contrast in voice onset time or breathiness. In order to understand this question better, additional parameters of contrast that might underlie this effect will be investigated. The short-term phonetic effect on fundamental frequency at the release of these consonants will also be examined. The issues raised by this problematic consonant distinction for understanding the relationship of consonant type and tone will be discussed.