| dc.description.abstract | This work is a study of tone levels in Dholuo and their representation. Tone in
Dholuo plays an important role in the lexicon and the grammar of the
language. This study therefore attempts to provide the tonal notations and how
they can be graphically represented for the non-speakers of the language.
The data used are the common Dholuo words grouped according to the
number of syllables and the tone pattern, ranging from monosyllabic,
disyllabic, trisyllabic to other polysyllabic words. The words are recorded from
the speech of the speakers of the KSN variety. The study is done in the
framework of Autosegmental and CV phonology. Autosegmental phonology is
used to represent the tones in the tonal tier and in cases where further analysis
of the syllable is necessary, CV phonoldgy is used to show the syllable peak
and weight in the CV-tier.
In the second chapter, we deal with the whole issue of tonal notation and
graphic representations of tones in Africa and other parts of the world where
tone languages are found. The various tone patterns in Dholuo words are given
in this chapter with their level noted numerically. The levels given in this
section are basically phonetic, since the following chapter attempts to establish
the phonological tone levels in Dholuo. The various words are studied in
groups based on their tonal patterns. Words with the same pattern but with a
Vll
llirkrCI1CC onl , In svllablc w ciuht are consigned to one group. To a larger
extent. tonal notation and representation hav e not been subject to any universal
COIl\ ent ion alld have been Il'I't \U \ arious linguists to set their own.
Chapter three handles selected properties or Dholuo phonology that have
bearinu on tlllle~ S\)Il1C or ih.: properties of tone dealt \\ ith include stability,
one-to-man- and manv-to-one associations l lere other features of Dholuo
phonolog , such as compensator, lengthening and vowel deletion have been
mClllillned \\ it h regards to their influence on tonal configurations.
It i~ concluded III chapter Iour that representation of tones by use the Chao
t()ne kttc.'I~ I~ IH)t 0111\ p(\ssihle in the treatment of Dholuo tonal system but
al-.o highli~hh <orne of the phonologica] processes that influence the tonal
cllilliguldtiun ill the language | en |
