Difference between revisions of "S alternations"
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The consonants '''/s/''' and '''/x/''' behave unexpectedly with regard to the consonant mutation processes in Sereer: they are the only mutating consonants that do not consistently maintain their original place of articulation when mutated, moving (in the case of /s/) from an alveolar to a palatal place of articulation |
The consonants '''/s/''' and '''/x/''' behave unexpectedly with regard to the consonant mutation processes in Sereer: they are the only mutating consonants that do not consistently maintain their original place of articulation when mutated, moving (in the case of /s/) from an alveolar to a palatal place of articulation |
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A major exception to the regularity of the standard nominal mutation, ''s'' is sometimes invariant and sometimes not. When it alternates under the [[Phonological Alternations#Standard nominal mutation|standard nominal mutation]], it does so with the voiceless palatal stop ''c'' in certain lexemes and is invariant in others. |
A major exception to the regularity of the standard nominal mutation, ''s'' is sometimes invariant and sometimes not. When it alternates under the [[Phonological Alternations#Standard nominal mutation|standard nominal mutation]], it does so with the voiceless palatal stop ''c'' in certain lexemes and is invariant in others. |
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Parallel to this, the [[Phonological Alternations#Prenasalized nominal mutation|prenasalized nominal mutation]] produces diminutive and augmentative noun stems in '''nj''' (e.g. '''suukar''' 'sugar'; '''njuukar''' 'sugar-DIM, a bit of sugar'). |
Parallel to this, the [[Phonological Alternations#Prenasalized nominal mutation|prenasalized nominal mutation]] produces diminutive and augmentative noun stems in '''nj''' (e.g. '''suukar''' 'sugar'; '''njuukar''' 'sugar-DIM, a bit of sugar'). |
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Revision as of 16:14, 14 December 2012
The consonants /s/ and /x/ behave unexpectedly with regard to the consonant mutation processes in Sereer: they are the only mutating consonants that do not consistently maintain their original place of articulation when mutated, moving (in the case of /s/) from an alveolar to a palatal place of articulation
S alternations
A major exception to the regularity of the standard nominal mutation, s is sometimes invariant and sometimes not. When it alternates under the standard nominal mutation, it does so with the voiceless palatal stop c in certain lexemes and is invariant in others.
English gloss Singular Plural pile of millet husks soxon coxon village saate caate onion soble' soble' boat suk suk
X alternations
Parallel to this, the prenasalized nominal mutation produces diminutive and augmentative noun stems in nj (e.g. suukar 'sugar'; njuukar 'sugar-DIM, a bit of sugar').
The segment x is never invariant, but mutates to either nq or ng depending on the lexeme along essentially the same lines of variation as /s/.
Table with examples forthcoming Faytak 23:14, 14 December 2012 (UTC)
Historical conjecture
It is possible that the present-day Sereer phoneme s represents a convergence of two historical fricatives, <nonwiki>*</nonwiki>s and <nonwiki>*</nonwiki>ʃ. The lexical items beginning with s that now undergo standard nominal mutation may have originally been a palatal segment, explaining the changing place of articulation. Comparison of related languages will no doubt indicate the veracity of this conjecture.
Similarly, it is possible that modern Sereer /x/ is a merger of two historical phonemes, one of which formerly had a regular mutation to nq and the other to ng. Obvious candidates for these merged segments are suggested by the two guttural phonemes in Sereer Siin, /x/ and /h/, which have merged to /x/ in Sereer Salum.
