Tone languages and the universality of intrinsic F 0: evidence from Africa

Abstract

A correlation between vowel height and fundamental frequency, whereby high vowels have higher F 0 than low vowels, is said to be universal. The available evidence suggests that this intrinsic F 0 (IF0) extends even to tone languages, which might be expected to control or constrain F 0. Little work, however, has been done on IF0 in tone languages of Africa, where the tone systems are in certain respects more complex than those found elsewhere. This paper presents new research on four African tone languages which permits several questions concerning IF0 in these languages to be addressed. The central question, whether tone inventory size is a constraining factor on IF0, presupposes that IF0 does indeed exist in tone languages. Reports in the literature that IF0 is reduced or neutralized for Low tone suggest that there may be an IF0 gradient with respect to tone height. Results confirm the existence of IF0 for three of the four languages studied, but also suggest that it may be constrained in some tone languages. Tone inventory size alone, however, does not account for this; rather, the nature of the tone system, and in particular the degree of F 0 modulation used in producing tonal contrasts appears to the primary factor. While IF0 is generally reduced for Low tone, not all of these four languages show the postulated gradient. This finding fits with research suggesting that a different physiological mechanism may be associated with the production of low rangeF 0.