Difference between revisions of "Phonological Alternations"

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==Nouns==
 
==Nouns==
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(discussion on sg./pl. alternations here)
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Deverbal nouns:
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A noun can be formed from (any?) verb by affixing a prefix ''a-'' to the verb root, and altering the initial consonant of the root.
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{| class=""
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! verb !! meaning !! noun !! meaning
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|-
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| ret || go || atet || a trip, "going"
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|}
   
 
==Verbs==
 
==Verbs==

Revision as of 13:21, 4 October 2012

Phonological Alternations

Morphophonology

Sereer has salient alternations in the initial consonants of noun and verb stems. These alternations appear to be morphologically conditioned in a lexically specified manner, since they occur in several different segmental contexts whose only common element is being within a morphologically derived environment (e.g. plurality in both nouns and verbs; addition of apparent nominalizing suffixes to verbs).

Nouns

(discussion on sg./pl. alternations here)

Deverbal nouns: A noun can be formed from (any?) verb by affixing a prefix a- to the verb root, and altering the initial consonant of the root.

verb meaning noun meaning
ret go atet a trip, "going"

Verbs

The initial consonant of verb roots can vary based on whether the subject is singular or plural. Non-implosives alternate with prenasalized stops, and implosives alternate with their voiceless counterparts. So far, these alternations appear to be completely predictable.

sg.~pl.
f~mb
b~mb
w~mb
ɉ~ɲɉ
χ~ɴɢ
ɗ~ƭ
ɓ~ƥ
ʄ~ƈ
r~nd
d~nd
g~ng

Invariant:
j~j
l~l
m~m
n~n
ŋ~ŋ
ɲ~ɲ
p~p
t~t
k~k
c~c
s~s

We still need to get the sg vs. pl. forms of verbs starting with:
q
ʔ, or vowel initial

It seems that verb roots (as seen with singular subjects) cannot start with voiceless implosives or prenasalized stops.