LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Coda Deletion in Yemeni Tihami Dialect (YTD) -
Autosegmental Analysis

Abdulghani M. A. Al-Shuaibi, Ph.D.
Tajul Aripin Kassin, Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper investigates coda deletion phenomenon in Yemeni Tihami dialect (YTD). The paper presents an autosegmental analysis of coda deletion determining how the phonological process takes place.

The study is conducted theoretically and supported by practical evidence from the Yemeni Tihami context. The data were analysed and examined within the framework of the Autosegmental Phonology Theory. Methodologically, the data were elicited by employing different methods, viz. Swadesh list, the two tasks of Labovian models - word list reading and passage reading, interviews, oral phonology questionnaires, recordings and participant observations.

As a consequence of the autosegmental analysis, the findings affirmed that the postulation of Spencer (1996: 77) that says 'the loss of a coda consonant leads to a lengthening of the nucleus of that syllable' is not applicable to YTD. Therefore, evidence from YTD demonstrates that the postulation of Spencer (1996) is probably applicable to some, but definitely not all, languages/dialects of the world as illustrated in YTD, and thus is not a universal.

Keywords: Deletion phenomenon, vowel lengthening, coda deletion, syllabification, dipththongisation, Autosegmental Phonology Theory, phonological analysis.

1. Introduction

The phonological process of deletion phenomenon in YTD takes place in the coda position. The coda [d?] of the final position of the root is deleted when appended to an enclitic causing no lengthening of the nucleus of that syllable. In this regard, Spencer (1996: 77) in his explanation of syllabification states that 'the loss of a coda consonant leads to a lengthening of the nucleus of that syllable'. The word /kasnus/ [ka:nus] from Latin language is exemplified by Spencer to underpin his postulation. Evidence from YTD, based on the framework of Autosegmental Phonology Theory, illustrates that elicited fieldwork data from the context of YTD does not come in line with the claim which assumes the loss of coda syllable usually cause a lengthening of the nucleus of that syllable as postulated by Spencer (1996) in his explanation of syllabification.

2. Hypothesis

It is postulated that 'in many languages the loss of a coda consonant leads to a lengthening of the nucleus of that syllable. The two components of this process are linked rather than being just two independently operative processes which accidentally occur together, because in those languages that exhibit it we do not generally find the lengthening without the coda deletion. Moreover, compensatory lengthening is a phenomenon in the world's languages' (Spencer, 1996: 77 -78). Besides, Spencer (1996) represents the processes of deletion and lengthening by virtue of separating the timing tier from the melody. To underpin his postulation, he cites one example from Latin language as follows.

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