Moro vowel harmony: implications for transparency and representations*. Issue 1 (5th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ritchart, Amanda; Rose, Sharon
• Is Part Of: Phonology. Volume 34:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 163
• Page End: 200
• Publication Date: 2017-05-05
• Subjects: Grammar, Comparative and general -- Phonology -- Periodicals; 414.05
• DOI: 10.1017/S0952675717000069
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0952-6757

Abstract

Abstract : This paper describes and analyses the vowel-harmony system of the Kordofanian language Moro. Moro has a cross-height dominant-recessive raising harmony system in which high vowels and a central mid vowel trigger harmony, while peripheral mid vowels and a central low vowel are harmony targets. Schwas can co-occur with any of the vowels, appearing inert to harmony. Yet when schwas occur alone in a morpheme, some trigger harmony and some do not. We suggest that an original ATR-harmony system shifted to a height system via merger and centralisation, producing two distinct central vowels, rather than a single schwa. One vowel patterns with the higher vowels in triggering harmony, and the other patterns with the lower vowels. We also propose that a particle-based representation offers the best characterisation of the groupings of target and trigger vowels in the language.