Moro voicelessness dissimilation and binary [voice]*. Issue 3 (19th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bennett, Wm. G.; Rose, Sharon
• Is Part Of: Phonology. Volume 34:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 473
• Page End: 505
• Publication Date: 2017-12-19
• Subjects: Grammar, Comparative and general -- Phonology -- Periodicals; 414.05
• DOI: 10.1017/S0952675717000252
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0952-6757

Abstract

Abstract : This paper reports on a pattern of voicelessness dissimilation in the Kordofanian language Moro. Voiceless stops and affricates become voiced before a voiceless obstruent in a transvocalic configuration. The dissimilation is robust, and productive across morphological contexts. Phonetically, voicing in Moro is realised as a difference between prevoicing and short-lag voice onset time. This makes [voice] the most realistic featural characterisation; using another feature like [spread glottis] in lieu of [–voice] doesn't explain the contrast. Consequently, dissimilation of voicelessness in Moro is strong evidence that [voice] is a binary feature, and that […voice] may be phonologically active despite being 'unmarked'. We show that when [–voice] is admitted, the Moro pattern is straightforwardly analysed on a par with other cases of dissimilation. Our analysis uses the theory of surface correspondence, which carries no crucial assumptions about markedness; other theories of dissimilation are considered in an online supplement.