The Geometry and Features of Tone, 2nd Edition
In The Geometry and Features of Tone, linguists will benefit from the theory presented as well as from its practical application to four case studies. First published in 1999, this book has not lost its relevance; it will stimulate the seasoned linguist and provide valuable instruction to students of phonology and tone.
The Geometry and Features of Tone describes Register Tier Theory (RTT). Couched within the broader theories of autosegmental phonology and feature geometry, RTT is a model for representing tone phonologically:
- what features are involved
- how the features relate to tone-bearing units, and
- how the features interact with one another.
Following brief introductions to autosegmental phonology and lexical phonology, as well as following a relatively abstract treatment of RTT, case studies are presented of diverse types of register phenomena. The final chapter critiques a number of alternative proposals.
No substantive changes were made in this edition, but typographical errors have been corrected.
About the Author
Dr. Keith L. Snider, an SIL International Senior Linguistics Consultant, has had many years of field experience working on tone languages in different parts of Africa. His prior publications on tone include journal articles, book articles, a co-edited volume on tone theory, and a textbook, Tone Analysis for Field Linguists.
Abbreviations
Preface to the First Edition (1999)
Preface to the Second Edition
1. Autosegmental Phonology
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Advantages of autosegmental representations
1.3 Principles of Autosegmental Phonology
1.4 Excursus on lexical phonology
1.5 Hierarchical structure
2. Register Tier Theory
2.1 Tone and register
2.2 Geometry of tone
2.3 Features of tone
2.4 Underspecification
2.5 Obligatory ContourPrinciple (OCP) 3. Explanatory Potential of the Model
3.1 Assimilations
3.2 Downstep and Upstep
3.3 Contour tones
3.4 Multiple tone heights 4. Terracing Downsteps in Chumburung
4.1 Tone classes
4.2 Associative construction
4.3 Automatic downstep
4.4 Nonautomatic downsteps
Appendix A: Lexical derivations of forms in (74)
Appendix B: Postlexical derivations of forms in (74)
Appendix C: Postlexical derivations of forms in (81) 5. Nonterracing Downsteps in Engenni
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Tone classes
5.3 Conclusion 6. Upstepped Hi in Acatlán Mixtec
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Tone classes
6.3 Upstep 7. Downstepped Lo in Bamileke-Dschang
7.1Noun tone classes
7.2 Downsteped Hi tones
7.3 Downstepped Lo tones
7.4 Additional data
Appendix A: Rules
Appendix B: Disyllabic N1+ disyllabic N2 in associative construction
Appendix C: Pitch traces for associative construction 8.Critique of Selected Alternative Approaches
8.1Clements (1983)
8.2 Poser (1984), Beckman and Pierrehumbert (1986), and Pulleyblank (1986)
8.3 Hymann (1993)
8.4Clark (1993)
8.5Yip (1989,1993)
References
Index
