Compacité Tonale and the Bamana prosodic word domain
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Abstract
Compacité tonale (CT), also known as tonal compactness or the noun-compounding rule, is a tonological process active in Bamana (Bambara) and its close relatives. The melodic outcome of CT has been described, however a formal mechanism motivating its application has been largely overlooked. Scholars describe this process as one in which non-initial tones of compounds or certain other polymorphemic derivatives are neutralized. Little consideration has been given to the role of particular morphemic constituents in driving its outcome or why the process fails in notable instances. This paper reconsiders CT alongside earlier work and formalizes its outcomes in terms of tonal spreading within the prosodic word domain. A tone associated with the head of an input prosodic word is considered ‘privileged’ in that it is permitted to spread within its domain when triggered to do so. This analysis provides a principled explanation for the possible outcomes of CT, as well as for instances where the process yields ‘minor’ tonal melodies.
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