Some aspects of assimilation in Southern Sotho with special reference to vowel raising
This dissertation treats Vowel Raising as a part of Assimilation in Southern Sotho. Assimilation as a concept in any language is a broad concept that includes consonantal and vowel- influences that have been juxtaposed. The influence may be between two vowels in juxtaposition i.e. [i] next to [e] produces [e] . [u] next to [ O 3 or E E 3 also produce the allophones of two vowel phonemes i.e. E C> 3 and EE3 respectively. In short, when close vowels are juxtaposed to open or semi-open vowels, raising will take place. Exceptions may occur sporadically. This study has been treated in eight chapters. (a) CHAPTER ONE Theoretical background and motivation to the study are given. An hypothesis that [ £ 3 and E J3 as allophones are non-semantic, is given. (b) CHAPTER TWO Common Bantu and Ur-Bantu are discussed. The aim is to trace how far they had influenced the development of the present Southern Sotho. Different types of Sotho v/charts are treated. (c) CHAPTER THREE The origin of the Vowel Charts in respect of the IPA is discussed. All what pertains to IPA alphabet and its usage is treated. (d) CHAPTER FOUR The Vowel treatment of I) P Kunene and D T Cole are critically discussed- The two are the great contributors to the study of Vowels in Sotho. (e) CHAPTER FIVE Southern Sotho Vowel chart is made from the research findings. (f) CHAPTER SIX The Concept Assimilation is treated in full. (g) CHAPTER SEVEN Vowel raising as a concept is fully treated. CHAPTER EIGHT i) In order to grasp Vowel Raising correctly an attempt at its codification has been done. This approach has contributed greatly to the. study of Vowel Raising. ii) In conclusion it has been discovered that [e] and Co] are phonemes identical with Cardinal vowels numbers 2 and 7. They are not the allophones of [E] and [a 3 as Kunene argues.
Sotho language--Assimilation., Assimilation (Phonetics)
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations