LUWANGA MORPHOPHONEMICS: AN OPTIMALITY THEORETIC ACCOUNT

Abstract

Proto-Bantu language reconstruction has a relatively simple phoneme inventory of eleven consonants and seven vowels. Most Bantu languages of present day are characterized by a high number of phonemes. The verbal morphology of Proto-Bantu is especially rich but also highly variable; it is charactrised by intense inflection across languages.This study sought to analyse the phonology, morphology and morphophonemic alternations of Luwanga, a dialect of Luhya language analyzed within optimality theory model in a bid to explaining differences that exist in the realisation of Proto-Bantu consonant and vowel phonemes in the present day Bantu languages. It also provides an account of the innovations in the present day Bantu languages. A synchronic approach was employed in analysing the phonemes in Luwanga hence this study sought to: analyze the phonology of Luwanga, describe the morphological structure of nouns and verbs and discuss the morphophonemic alternations of this language. A descriptive research design was employed. Data consisted of 100 noun and 50 verb forms collected through fieldwork where interview schedules were used to get the pronunciation of lexical items in Luwanga whereas library research entailed use Wanga-English dictionary (Anangwe&Marlo 2008) and proverbs from Proverbs from Kisa, Marama, Tsotso and Wanga provided data. Introspection was also used. Data collected was presented by transcribing it phonetically and morpheme to morpheme glosses were isolated. It was then analyzed using Optimality theory. The study established that Luwanga has 18 consonants; five NC sequences treated as clusters, a three-height five vowel system of short vowels with their long counterparts. Syllable structure types are three namely CV (V), CCV (V) and V (V) with a CC V (V) CVtemplate. Nominal morphology of the language established sixteen noun classes that have prefixes attached. They are distinguished both phonologically by the affixes on the nouns and syntactically by the type of concord they take. Noun modifiers must always agree with the nouns they modify. vi Noun class productivity was evident in classes 12, 13, 15 and 16 with their prefixes deriving other nouns and verbs. Locatives are not noun classes as posited since the locative prefixes are attached to nouns which already have their class prefixes but are a special prefixes that mark location of a noun. The Luwanga verb was shown to be made up of a complex structure of up to ten morphemes marking grammatical categories such as negation, tense, aspect, derivational suffix among others. Subject verb agreement is obligatory while object marking is optional. The verb has an obligatory inflectional final suffix preceded by optional suffixes such as the reversive, inchoative, reciprocal, applicative, imperfective, causative and passive. Morphophonemic alternations were categorized as vowel processes identified as coalescence, glide formation, vowel height harmony, consonant epenthesis, deletion and gemination; consonant processes: assibilation, palatalisation, nasal deletion, epenthesis and post-nasal voicing. The markedness constraints when ranked along other faithfulness constraints adequately account for different vocalic strategies. This study made recommendations for further study and among them: phonemic inventory of Luwanga with regard to constraint interaction, partial reduplication, suprasegmental phonology, morphology, syntax, vowel and consonant harmony within OT