VIII - Historical Tonology

Abstract

This chapter presents some principles of historical tonology. Most of the arguments are based on data from African languages. The principles proposed are believed to have universal application and will have to be tested against tone languages from all parts of the world. In approaching the subject of historical tonology, three general principles were accepted as essential working hypotheses. (1) The Principle of Nonarbitrariness states that no tone change is arbitrary. Each tone change, like any other kind of linguistic change, is motivated by some principle, rather than by some whim or fancy. (2) The Principle of Synchronie and Diachronie Nonequivalence states that any tone change is a possible tonological rule. The converse is not true, that is, there are types of tone rules which, although synchronically valid, could not have taken place as tone changes. (3) The Principle of Nonviolation of Linguistic Universals states that no tone change produces an unacceptable tonal state. There is a necessary relationship between states and processes such that the latter cannot produce what is known to be in violation of some linguistic universal.