Abstract:

A long-running question in linguistic theory concerns the interaction between different components of grammar. How much can different components of grammar “see” each other? In phonology in particular, there is debate over the role that morphological and lexical information play in determining the observed sound patterns across languages. This talk has two goals. First, I present data from fieldwork on Avatime (a Kwa language spoken in Volta Region, Ghana) on a process of tone sandhi that requires phonological, lexical, and morphological context to derive the correct tones. I put the Avatime pattern in the context of contemporary work on phonology and phonologically-conditioned allomorphy, especially in African languages. Second, I show how investigating questions at the interface of phonology and other components of grammar can contribute to language documentation, with an example from field research on Hän (a Dene language spoken in eastern Alaska and Yukon, Canada). I show that investigating the role morphological categories play in the tonal phonology of Hän can provide a more accurate picture of the grammar of this highly endangered language.