Lenition Processes in Ut-ma’in (Fakkanci): A Case Study of Deletion and Weakining of Glottal Sound /ʔ/

Table of Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Review of the Previous Related Literature
• Methodology and Theoretical Framework
• Methodology
• Theoretical Framework
• Data Presentation and Analysis
• Glottal / ʔ / Deletion at Word-final Position
• Glottal / ʔ / Deletion at Syllable-final Position
• Glottal Deletion at Morpheme Boundary                     
• Conclusion
• References

Citation: Sambo, A.W. (2024). Lenition Processes in Ut-ma’in (Fakkanci): A Case Study of Deletion and Weakining of Glottal Sound /ʔ/. Tasambo Journal of Language, Literature, and Culture, 3(1), 40-44. www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2024.v03i01.005.

Lenition Processes in Ut-ma’in (Fakkanci): A Case Study of Deletion and Weakining of Glottal Sound / ʔ /

By

Almustapha Wali Sambo
Al-Qalam University, Katsina
mustaphaoldman@gmail.com
+2347061305340

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the phonological processes of glottal / ʔ / deletion in Ut-ma’in, a northwest Kainji language, under the Niger-Congo phylum. The paper employs an ethnographic method for data collection and adopts a distinctive features theory postulated by Chomsky and Halle (1968) in analyzing the glottal deletion in the language. The paper identifies, describes, and analyses glottal / ʔ / deletion in the language , and the rules governing the process. The paper claims that the glottal stop / ʔ / is deleted when it occurs at a word-final position; at syllable-final position, followed by another syllable and at a morpheme boundary in the language in a rapid speech. This claim is backed with several instances of words, compound words and verbal phrases. The paper discovers that the phonological process of deletion is very common in the language, and it plays a vital role in making speech easy. It also discovers that such a process results in a change of syllable structure another process of vowel lengthening and a change of noun class in the language.

Keywords: Ut-ma’in, phonology, deletion, glottal, Kainji, Niger-Congo, rules.

Introduction

This paper aims to describe and analyse the phonological process of deletion, and it only focuses on glottal / ʔ / deletion in Ut-ma’in. It adopts a distinctive features theory postulated by Chomsky and Halle (1968) in its analysis Segments are distinguished by their content utilizing their distinctive features. Such features are numbered well over 20 if prosodic features are included (Chomsky & Halle, 1968:299-300). In collecting data, however, this paper employs the ethnographic method, which is primarily gathering data from the field through interviews and observations.

Deletion is one of the phonological processes that are found in the sound system of human languages. According to Keating (1996:46), “ In language, there is a tension between articulatory ease and perceptual distinctiveness.” When analysing such two scenarios certain rules are formulated to show alternations that occur to segments (consonants and vowels) at different contexts in a speech.

Ut-ma’in ( Fakkanci ) is a Nigerian language spoken in some villages of Fakai district of Mahuta Local Government Area of Kebbi state. The language is a language of the Niger-Congo phylum under the Benue-Congo family. It is a language of Kainji under northwest Kainji. Ut-ma’in has the following syllable structures: CV, CVC, CVVC, CVCC. The structures indicate that the language does not have a nucleus i.e., a vowel alone as a syllable. All syllables have an onset and nucleus. Some syllables have a coda, and the coda can either be a single consonant or a consonant cluster. An occurrence of consonant clusters in the language is only in word-final position The language also has a long vowel VV as a syllable peak and does occur in closed syllables, that’s when the syllable has a coda. This study observes that in the phonetic realization of some syllables with CVC, the consonant of the coda changes to a vowel. As a result of such a process, the syllable structure CVC changes to CVV. Therefore, it could be claimed that the language has syllables with the CVV structure. From the above explanation, it is obvious that Ut-ma’in has two types of syllables, as mostly found in many languages, that is open syllable and closed syllable.

Review of the Previous Related Literature

In reviewing some of the previous literature related to this study, the paper discovers that there are several works on sound systems of different Nigerian languages. There are also some works on the phonology of Kainji languages [1] , but only a few have been conducted on the phonology of northwestern Kainji languages. Researchers such as Sambo (2019) claim that in Ut-ma‘in there is an occurrence of the glottal / ʔ / in the syllable-initial position and word-final position. Allison (2017) reveals that the pattern of vowel deletion is predictable in Úwù. Dettweiler (2015) writes a portrait grammar of C’lela. Aliero (2013) describes the morphophonological process of C’lela. Hayes (2009), Hall (2006), Frajzyngier (2003), and Glowacka (2001) research the phonology of many African languages and precisely Niger-Congo languages. Studies such as Abiodun (2000), Egbokhare (1990), and Elugbe (1973) all show the pattern of vowel deletion in Edo, Emai, Ukaan, and Yorùbá languages respectively. Amfani (1990) collects a 100-item Swadesh list in C’lela and compares it with three other languages of the then Zuru Local Government Area; Ut-ma’in is included. Dancy (1972) also collects a 100-item wordlist of C’lela language as part of a wider survey of Nigerian languages. Hoffman (1967) provides a wordlist of C’lela for a Benue-Congo comparative study. Bouquiaux (1964) provides a wordlist of Aten.

Methodology and Theoretical Framework

This section comprises two important topics of this paper, methodology and theoretical framework. That’s the method used in collecting data and the theory adopted in the analysis of the data. Methodology explains how the data has been collected the area covered in collecting data and even the sampling used in collecting it. The theoretical framework explains the theory that’s being used in analysing the data that has been collected.

Methodology

An ethnographic method of data collection is employed in this study. This method includes primary data collection, which is carried out primarily through fieldwork. Interviews and observations are being used in the field to collect data for this study.

The areas or villages where the language under study is spoken are Batseri, Birnin Tudu, Garin Fakai, and Tungan Yawo, all in the Fakai district area of Mahuta Local Government Area. Therefore, this study concentrates on central areas where the language is mainly spoken, which have been mentioned. This is because the places have the majority number of speakers of the language and they consider themselves as original Fakkawa and native speakers of the language, who were not assimilated into another neighbouring tribe other than Hausa.

In collecting data, this study selects informants that assist in collecting and generating a word list of words, phrases, and simple sentences. Eight (8) primary informants have been selected. That is two (2) from each area of study, who will be respondents in unstructured interviews, discussions, and observations. These informants are mostly the older generation, males and females, aged between 40 and above. The informants selected have Western education and those that do not have.

When collecting data, audio-visual recording devices such as cameras, handsets, voice recorders, video recorders, pens, and notebooks are used and gather the data. Using recording items helps in avoiding repetition of words from a speaker(s), and when transcribing the data phonetically.

Theoretical Framework

Several distinct approaches to the study of phonology have been developed during the mid-twentieth century. This study approaches the analysis of the phonological process of glottal / ʔ / deletion in Ut-ma’in from the standpoint of one particular theory of generative phonology founded by Chomsky and Halle (1968) in their famous Sound Pattern of English (SPE) . The ultimate goal of linguists working within this framework is to answer the question: What is the nature of language? That is, what are the inherent properties of language? What are the accidental properties? The theory of distinctive features presented in SPE is the theory that is used in describing and analysing the segment features and phonological process of glottal / ʔ / deletion of the language under investigation. “Segments are distinguished by their content utilizing their distinctive features. Such features are numbered well over 20 if prosodic features are included (Chomsky & Halle, 1968:299-300).”

Data Presentation and Analysis

The data is the Swadish wordlist that is adopted for the analysis, and it contains terms of the natural being of the universe, human’s physical and non-physical being terms, numerical terms, grammatical items, etc.

Deletion is a process by which a sound present in the phonemic form is removed from the phonetic form in certain environments for ease of production ( Lass, 1984). According to Sambo (2019:73), the syllable structures in Ut-ma’in are CV, CVC, CVVC, and CVCC and most of the words in the language have glottal stop / ʔ / in word-initial position. Here are some words with initial / ʔ / in (1):

(1)

1.	/ ʔ ùwár/	body
2.	/ ʔ ùká ʔ /	skin of man
3.	/ ʔə ̀rhí/	head
4.	/ ʔə ̀rpo ̂ n/	forehead
5.	/ ʔ ù ʃ ə ́/	face

 

 

 

Below is the presentation and analysis of glottal / ʔ / deletion.

Glottal / ʔ / Deletion at Word-final Position

Some words in the language have a glottal stop / ʔ / at a final position. When it occurs in such an environment, before a morpheme boundary, preceding another consonant, it is deleted especially in rapid speech. The formalization of the phonological rule of such a process could be stated as follows:

(2)        / ʔ / → Ø / __ # C

The above rule will be restated as follows

(3)        Glottal stop / ʔ / is deleted when it occurs at the word-final position and followed by another consonant.

Below in (4) are a few examples of words that undergo such a process.

(4)       

	Underlying Representation	Phonetic Representation
a	/ ʔ ù.ká ʔ           +    pús/ ‘human skin’     ‘white’	[ ʔ ùkáapús] ‘white (human) skins’
b	/ ʔə ̀.rú ʔ      +    p ò/ ‘corpse’         ‘new’	[ ʔə ̀rúupò] ‘new corpses’
c	/ ʔ ù.t ɔ ́ ʔ      +    m ɛ ̀/ ‘ear’            ‘mine’	[ ʔ ùt ɔ ̃́ ɔ ́m ɛ ̃̀] ‘my ears’
d	/ ʔ ù.fá ʔ     +    n ə ́n ɛ ̀/ ‘snake’     ‘how many’	[ ʔ ùfã́an ə ̃́n ɛ ̃̀ ] ‘how many snakes’
e	/wá ʔ        +     w ə ̀h ɛ ̀/ ‘child’         ‘which’	[wáa w ə ̀h ɛ ̀ ] ‘which children’

In (4) above, the process alternates the syllable structure of the affected syllable, which is the final syllable of the first words of underlying representation. The structure of the syllable changes from CVC to CVV, that‘s from closed to open syllable, but it remains heavy. However, this process of deleting the glottal stop at the word-final position resulted in another process in the language, which is a weakening, to avoid consonant cluster word-initially.  It is obvious that when the glottal / ʔ / is deleted at the word-final position and followed by another consonant, the final vowels of the words are affected and have been lengthening. They’re short vowels before the deletion but alternate to long vowels after the deletion. The change of short vowels to long vowels after deletion resulted in the change of numbers from singular to plural.

Glottal / ʔ / Deletion at Syllable-final Position

The glottal stop / ʔ / is also deleted at the syllable-final position and when followed by another syllable in a word. The rule for such a process would be as follows:

(5)        / ʔ / → Ø / CV-CV                           

The rule above stated that:

(6)         Glottal stop / ʔ / is deleted in between two syllables.

Let‘s provide some words that under such process in (7) below:

(7)       

	Underlying Representation	Phonetic Representation	Gloss
a	/ ʃə ̀ ʔ .d ə ̀m.jár/	[ ʃə ̀d ə ̃̀mjár]	peace
b	/kàg.jù ʔ .t ʃ á ʔ /	[kàgjùt ʃ á:]	ram
c	/ ʔə ́t. ʔ à.k ə ̀n/	[ ʔə ́tàk ə ̃̀n]	begin

  In the above example, it is obvious that the syllable structure of the underlying representation differs from that of phonetic representation as a result of the glottal / ʔ / deletion. The underlying form / ʃə ̀ ʔ .d ə ̀m.jár/, for instance, has CVC.CVC.CVC structure, but it changes to CV.CVC.CVC in the phonetic realization.             

Glottal Deletion at Morpheme Boundary                     

The glottal stop / ʔ / is also deleted when it occurs across morpheme boundaries in a rapid speech. The formalization of the phonological rule of such a process could be stated as follows:

(8)     /ʔ/   →     ø / #CVC  +  __ C#

The above rule will be restated as follows

(9)        Glottal stop / ʔ / is deleted when it occurs at the morpheme boundary.

Below in (10) are a few examples of compound words and phrases that undergo such a process.

(10)     

	Underlying Representation	Phonetic Representation
a	/ dám +  ʔ ù.t ɔ ́ ʔ / ‘ wax’      ‘ear’	[ dã́mũ̀t ɔ ́ ʔ ] earwax
b	/ w ə ́d           +     ʔə ̀m.hj ə ́/ imperfective        ‘blood’	[ w ə ́d ə ̃̀mhj ɛ ́] bleeding
c	/jád        +     ʔ ù.kóm/ ‘waving’                 ‘hand’	[jádùkṍm] waving hand

From the above example, it is obvious that the glottal plosive / ʔ / was deleted in the phonetic form (which is the actual speech), precisely at the morpheme boundary. For instance, /jád/ ‘waving’ is a morpheme and / ʔ ù.kóm/ ‘hand’ is also a morpheme. When both are pronounced together in a rapid speech, the glottal / ʔ / in / ʔ ù.kóm/ ‘hand’ is deleted and the two morphemes become one, which also resulted in the changing of syllable structure of the morphemes from CVC+CV.CVC to CV.CV.CVC.            

Conclusion

From what has been presented, an attempt was made to describe, analyse and document one of the aspects of phonological processes of one of the very rare, documented languages in Nigeria. The language is Ut-ma’in spoken in Kebbi state, and the aspect is glottal deletion. As presented in the paper, it is obvious that the language has specific rules that govern its processes or patterns. The paper identified, described, and analysed glottal / ʔ / deletion in the language , and the rules governing the process. It’s claimed that the glottal stop / ʔ / is deleted when it occurs (i) at a word-final position, (ii) at a syllable-final position and followed by another syllable, and (iii) at a morpheme boundary in the language in a rapid speech; and this claim is backed with several instances of words, compound words and verbal phrases. The paper discovered that the phonological process of deletion is very common in the language, and it plays a vital role in rapid speech. It also found that such a process results in a changing of syllable structure and another process of weakening.

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[1] According to Williamson and Blench (2000:11), the Kainji languages “constitute a major branch of the Benue-Congo language subgroup”. The Kainji group includes approximately 60 languages divided geographically into three main subgroups. The Eastern Kainji subgroup that contains languages spoken in north and west of Jos, the Basa subgroup found at the Niger-Benue confluence, and the Western Kainji that spread across northwest Nigeria, around Lake Kainji, which gives the group its name (McGill & Blench, 2012:1).

 

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