Juxtaposition of the M

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5.3.1 Floating H

The Mid-high to High contour is the only tonal cluster which hosts a floating High tone. Recall that the M 1 -H was introduced in §4.4.1. The underlying representation reveals that the TBU sponsors two TRNs, M 1 H l and H H h, neither of which usually need to be associated in the lexicon 26 repeated from 1 in §5.2.1 above. 26 UR of M 1 -H l h H H ʃka ‘pants’ In isolation both sponsored tones can link to the only available TBU producing a rising contour on that TBU as was discussed in §4.4.1; however, this linkage is not in the lexicon. The lack of lexical linkage is the explanation for the mobile behavior of the H that will be exemplified in the coming sections. In the sections below, I discuss five of the different tonal environments that can follow the M 1 -H: a disyllabic L toned word L L ̠, a disyllabic M toned word M 2 M 2 , a disyllabic word which has a M 2 on the first syllable and a H on the second syllable M 2 H, a monosyllabic H toned word H and a monosyllabic L toned morpheme L. The behavior of the contour in each environment will be explained. Finally, I summarize the M 1 -H discussion.

5.3.1.1 Juxtaposition of the M

1 -H with a Disyllabic L Toned Word The behavior of the M 1 -H contour followed by a disyllabic L toned word was described above in §5.2.1. The derivation illustrated in 1 above is repeated here as 27 for clarity and comparison to other environments in which the mobile H tone has an effect, and to contrast with the mobile M 1 . In this environment, the floating H was shown to link preferentially to the first syllable of the following word 27c. The docking of the floating tone causes a redistribution of the tones present so that one of the tones 259 sponsored by the first morpheme surfaces on the second morpheme. All three tones which were lexically specified surface linked to separate TBUs and each syllable is expressed with a level tone. 27 M 1 -H when juxtaposed against disyllabic L toned word a. Data to be explained ʃka˦˥ + su˩sɛ˩ → ʃka˦ su˥sɛ˩ ‘pants’ ‘green’ ‘green pants’ b. Underlying Representations l h l H H L ʃka sus ɛ c. Surface linkages in context l h l H H L ʃka su sɛ In the case of the disyllabic L toned word, there is only one TRN lexically specified for the two TBUs present; therefore, there is room to accommodate the docking of a second complete TRN without the formation of a contour or the loss of any underlying tonal information. The process of the floating tone association can be schematized as follows: 28 Schematization of M 1 -H followed by L L a. Tonal association per UAC b. Final surface structure l h x l l h x l H H x L H H x L TBU x TBU y1 TBU y2 TBU x TBU y1 TBU y2 260 The result of the juxtaposition of the cluster which hosts a floating H tone with a disyllabic low toned word is that the H links to the first syllable of the following word leaving the original Low tone linked to the final syllable of the lexeme. In the next two sections, I examine the juxtaposition of other disyllabic words with different tones to see if this pattern of docking the H as a level tone on the first syllable of the following word is pervasive or limited.

5.3.1.2 Juxtaposition of the M