Phonetic analysis in phonological description: Prenasalized consonants and Meinhof's rule

Abstract

In this paper, I provide a re-analysis of a well-known case of dissimilation of nasal compounds in many Eastern Bantu languages known as the Ganda Law or Meinhof's law. It is demonstrated that far from being a case of dissimilation, the ‘law’ involves natural assimilatory processes uniquely. More importantly, I examine the nature and traditional analysis of prenasalized consonants in general. Using ‘secondary phonetic data’ from a wide range of languages, including representatives from all areas where prenasalized consonants are regarded as an areal phenomenon (Africa, Amerindia, and the Pacific), a series of arguments is presented suggesting that prenasalized consonants do not occur at the level of underlying representation in any language. A sketch of a universal model for the derivation of prenasalized consonants is provided which delivers a great deal of explanatory power. Finally, some brief remarks about the nature and use of phonetic data in phonological analysis are presented attempting to elucidate the role of explanation in phonology.