57
The examples above are listed according to noun class, and I also show the underlying form of the prefix for reference.
The same process occurs when the infinitive prefix ko- labializes before vowel- initial verb roots, as in 39 below, which shows examples of both voiced and voiceless
prefixes. 39
Labialization before vowel-initial verb roots 89
89 89
89 89 1
: 89
- 89
9 9
9 9
9 9
8 9
. 2 Finally, note that all three of the processes described in the preceding sections
prenasalization, palatalization, labialization result in compensatory vowel lengthening, which is common in many Bantu languages. In the case of prenasalized consonants, the
vowel preceding the sequence is lengthened by varying degrees, sometimes dependent on the speaker and the particular word. In the case of palatalization and labialization, the
following vowel is lengthened. Lengthening occurs both root-internally and as a result of synchronic processes at morpheme boundaries. Because this lengthening is not
contrastive and varies phonetically, compensatory lengthening is not written in this thesis. See §3.3 for more on vowel length, and §3.3.2 for conditioned vowel length in
particular.
2.3.4 Dahl’s Law
Dahl’s Law henceforth DL is a process of voicing dissimilation which occurs in Ikoma prefixes. DL is attested in a number of other Eastern Bantu languages, but the details and
58 extent of alternation vary from language to language Davey and Nurse 1982; Bastin
2003; Lombardi 1995. In Ikoma, the velar consonants k and alternate in all prefixes in which the underlying consonant is k. Specifically, this rule affects noun class prefixes
and concords for classes 7, 12, and 15, which are underlyingly ke-, ka-, ko- respectively, as well as three tenseaspect prefixes described below.
The example sets in 40 and 41 below show the effects of DL in prefixes directly adjacent to voiceless and voiced root consonants, respectively. As the words in
40 show, if the first consonant of the root is voiced, the prefix remains voiceless. Examples in a show the infinitive prefix ko- before various voiced root-initial
consonants, while those in b show the class 7 prefix eke- before similar voiced consonants.
40 Voiceless prefixes before voiced root-initial consonants
7 8
8 9 8
2 -7
8 - .8
8 8
́1 8
- 9 8
8 8
9 8
, .
8 ; 8
́ .
8 9 8
89 8;
89 1 :
8; Note that changes of the prefix vowel are a result of either vowel harmony or glide
formation. In all examples above, the velar prefix remains voiceless, even before vowel- initial roots, as shown in the final two examples in each set. Also, as the examples show,
h appears to be phonologically voiced in Ikoma, since it patterns with voiced, not voiceless, consonants.
59 If the first consonant of the root is voiceless, the prefix alternates to the voiced
velar fricative . This is shown in 41 below in which a again exemplifies alternations of the infinitive prefix, and b demonstrates the class 7 prefix.
41 Voiced prefixes before voiceless root-initial consonants
a. o-ko a
‘grow up’ b.
e e-kú a ‘chest’
9 8 8,
F .
, 8
: 9
9 - 9
9 8 ;
8 .
There is one widespread exception to this voicing dissimilation pattern in Ikoma. When the first consonant of the root is the voiced velar fricative , the prefix is also
voiced. This is contrary to the pattern shown in 40 above where the prefix is voiceless before voiced consonants. Examples of voicing assimilation before are in 42 below.
42 Voiced prefixes before
a. o- o a
‘buy’ b.
e e- u a ‘shield’
8 ;
9 -
8 9
9 2
8 6
9 2 There are, however, some idiosyncratic exceptions to this tendency. These “exceptions”
actually follow the more general application of DL in which prefixes remain voiceless before voiced consonants. The few exceptions are shown in 43.
43 DL exceptions
8 9 9
8
60
In these words, the prefix does not alternate to before the in the stem. Some tense and aspect prefixes alternate as well. The narrative aka-, incipient
aká- and imperfective ako- prefixes each have underlyingly voiceless consonants.
30
The verbs in 44 below show an example of each of these three TA prefixes before a voiced root consonant, and in each case the prefix remains voiceless. The TA prefix is
underlined in each example. 44
Narrative, incipient and imperfective voiceless prefixes Narrative aka-
8 8
‘he called’ 3
SG
-
NAR
-call-
FV
Incipient aká- 8
- ‘they are starting to create’
3
PL
-
INCP
-create-
FV
Imperfective ako- ne-eku-mar-a
‘I will finish’ 1
SG
-
IMPF
-finish-
FV
As with the noun class and infinitive prefixes above, these TA prefixes alternate to before a voiceless consonant, as shown in 45 below.
45 Narrative, incipient and imperfective voiced prefixes
Narrative aka- 8
‘they dug’ 3
PL
-
NAR
-dig-
FV
Incipient aká- 8
‘it 7 is starting to dig’ 7-
INCP
-dig-
FV
Imperfective ako- ‘we are praying’
FM
-1
PL
-
IMPF
-pray-
FV
30
Note that the initial vowel of these three TA prefixes have unusual behavior in vowel hiatus contexts. See §2.2.2 for brief discussion on the quality of this vowel. For simplicity, I consider the initial vowel to be a.
61 There are also interesting examples in which multiple prefixes in a single word are
affected by Dahl’s Law. The alternation is triggered not only by root-initial consonants but also by any rightward prefix.
46 Alternations involving multiple prefixes
7 8
+ +
NAR
:-
FV
-7 :
? NAR ?
-
FV
.7 +
8 +
NAR
8 -
FV
7 . :
JAM
. -
FV
Example a shows the subject prefix [ e-] which is voiced preceding the NAR aspect prefix, which is voiceless. In b, the NAR prefix is voiced because of the voicelessness
of the 1PL object prefix to-. In c, the NAR prefix is voiced because of voicelessness in the verb root, and the class 7 subject prefix is also voiced because of the voiced velar
adjacency exception. Example d is also an example of the adjacency exception. The only velar prefixes which do not alternate are those which are underlyingly
voiced. For example, the class 20 augmentative prefix o o- never alternates to [oko-] before a voiced consonant. The example set in 47 below shows a number of nominal
roots with the augmentative prefix o o-, as well as the singular noun with its original class prefix.
62 47
Class 20 augmentative prefix 3333
6 8
6 9
8 8
1 .
= =
8 The clearest examples are the first two, in which the original class 7 prefixes are
voiceless because of the voiced root-initial consonants, but the class 20 prefixes are voiced even in these environments.
DL only affects prefixes, not root consonants or suffixes. In suffixes like the stative - k, the k does not alternate. Also, the voiceless k of this suffix does not trigger
voicing in preceding root consonants. For example, the final k in ku-hak-a ‘to smear’ is not voiced when the stative is added: [ku-hak- k-a] ‘to be smeared.’
2.4 Tone
