Minimality and Onset Conditions Interact with Vowel Harmony in Fungwa

Samuel Akinbo

doi:10.3765/amp.v7i0.4567

Abstract

This paper explores how the domain of vowel harmony can be affected by conditions involving minimality and the requirement for an onset within optimality theory (OT) framework. This work is based on the description and analysis of vowel harmony in Fungwa, an endangered Kainji, Benue-Congo (Niger state, Nigeria) language. In Fungwa, the root vowels trigger backness harmony which targets the vowels of onsetful prefixes and clitics. However, this harmony does not target vowels of onsetless prefixes. In this work, I argue that prosodic word (PWd) is the domain vowel harmony, a minimality condition and an onset condition. The vowel of the onsetful prefixes and clitics undergoing harmony is as a result of the minimality condition which dictates the occurence of the onsetful prefixes and clitics in the PWd. However, the onset condition on PWd results in the misalignment of the onsetless prefixes with the PWd, which is the domain of harmony.

Highlights

This paper explores how the domain of vowel harmony can be affected by conditions involving minimality and the requirement for an onset
The minimality condition dictates the integration of the onsetful prefix into a prosodic word, but the onset condition excludes the onsetless prefix from the prosodic word, the domain of harmony
In the analysis presented here, the domain of harmony is the PWd which is the domain of the minimality and onset conditions

Summary

Introduction

This paper explores how the domain of vowel harmony can be affected by conditions involving minimality and the requirement for an onset. I argue that vowel harmony, minimality and onset conditions refer to a prosodic constituent as the domain of operation in Fungwa. The onset condition on the domain of harmony is based on Downing’s (1998) account of onsetless syllables This argument is in line with the prosodic structure theory that constraints refer to prosodic constituents, in this case, the prosodic word (Selkirk, 1980, 1996; Downing, 1998; Hall, 1999).

Basic backness harmony

Span Theory analysis of Fungwa harmony

Onsetless prefixes

Associative construction

Summary and conclusion