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 Periodical article |
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| Title: | Nasal Consonant Processes in Kitharaka |
| Author: | Mberia, Kithaka wa |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Periodical: | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| Volume: | 11 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Pages: | 156-166 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Kenya |
| Subjects: | phonology Kikuyu language Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) |
| External link: | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/352/335 |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses three processes that make nasal consonants and especially /n/ the most dynamic area of Kitharaka phonology. Kitharaka is a Bantu language belonging to the Gikuyu-Kamba Group and spoken in Kenya. Whereas the language has four underlying nasal segments, it has eleven consonants at the phonetic level. The phonological processes discussed include homorganic nasal assimilation, nasal palatalization and nasal devoicing. That the first two processes operate in Kitharaka is evidenced by direct data. The contention that the third process operates in the language is deduced circumstantially. Kitharaka has a velar consonant devoicing rule otherwise referred to as Dahl's Law. There is convincing evidence from Kitharaka as well as from a number of other Bantu languages (where Dahl's Law operates) that Dahl's Law is conditioned by a voicless consonant. In Kitharaka, however, the rule also operates when the first consonant following a velar consonant is a nasal consonant occurring in a nasal consonant-obstruent cluster. With support from the data, the paper argues that Kitharaka has a nasal consonant devoicing rule and that the nasal consonants so devoiced trigger the operation of Dahl's Law, as is also the case with the inherently voiceless consonants. Bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract, edited] |
