THE ROLE OF SPIRANTISATION IN EXPLAINING PHONOLOGICAL MICRO-VARIATION IN CISUKWA, CINDALI AND CILAMBYA

Abstract

The paper discusses phonological micro-variation in Cisukwa, Cindali and Cilambya and how it can be accounted for by the diachronic process of spirantisation. The paper demonstrates that variation exists in SuNdaLa’s consonant inventories, their sound correspondences and phonotactic constraints. It shows that spirantisation accounts for the occurrence of fricatives in the SuNdaLa varieties but argues that the variation that exists among them is due to the varieties being at different stages of Hinnebusch’s (1981) spirantisation process. Cilambya is still at stage one of the process while Cindali and Cisukwa are at stage two. It is also argued that the devoicing of other obstruents in Cisukwa and Cindali may have occurred together with spirant devoicing. Issues of language contact are also discussed as they may be able to account for the reason why Cilambya diverges from the other two varieties.