Prosodic Restructuring In Somali Nominal Constructions

This paper investigates variability in the realization of High tones in some nominal constructions of Somali. Previous work on Somali tone suggests that most determiners and all nominal modifiers should realize a High tone when they combine with the noun they modify. However, our study finds that there is considerable variability in the realization of High tones on nominal determiners and modifiers, with the High tone often not realized. This phenomenon of variability in tone realization is quite reminiscent of Swedish, which shares with Somali the property that tone realization is culminative within some prosodic domain. Recent work on Swedish has argued that variable non-realization of High tone is best analyzed as prosodic restructuring: reducing the number of culminative tonal domains in a construction necessarily leads to a reduction in the number of surface High tones. We argue that prosodic domain restructuring also provides the most plausible analysis of High tone reduction in Somali nominals.

本研究探讨索马里语（Somali）部分名词结构（nominal constructions）中高调（High tone）实现的变异性。既往有关索马里语声调的研究表明，大多数限定词（determiners）以及所有名词修饰语（nominal modifiers）在与所修饰的名词结合时，均需实现高调。但本研究发现，名词限定词与修饰语的高调实现存在显著变异性，高调常无法实现。这类声调实现的变异性现象，与瑞典语高度相似：二者均具备“在某些韵律域（prosodic domain）内，高调的实现具有终结性”这一共同特征。近期针对瑞典语的研究提出，高调的可变省略现象，最佳分析方案为韵律重构（prosodic restructuring）：减少结构内的终结性韵律域数量，必然会降低表层高调的数量。我们认为，韵律重构同样可为索马里语名词结构中的高调缩减现象，提供最具说服力的分析框架。