[ATR] Vowel Harmony in Akan

Abstract

Lee, Minkyung. 2004. [ATR] Vowel Harmony in Akan. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 29-3, 359-376. The goal of this paper is to examine and analyze the [ATR] vowel harmony (VH) in Akan in the framework of constraints and their interaction. Grounded phonology cannot deal with low vowel opacity in Akan, thus this paper provides an alternative way of explanation. In Akan, VH is iterative and predictable. [ATR] agreement in affixes depends on the root [ATR] value. Note that [+ATR], as a trigger of VH, is underlyingly introduced. However, the low vowel /a/ shows variations in VH. When low vowel /a/ is directly preceded by [+ATR] vowel, it remains intact. Thus, no VH takes place. On the other hand, when it is followed by [+ATR] vowel, it undergoes VH. Such directional asymmetry results from the requirement of a grounded constraint which militates against incompatible feature combination. Further, as a complicated case, low vowel /a/ behaves opaque. It has dual roles of the target of VH and the blocker of VH. It undergoes VH before [+ATR] vowel but it blocks further [+ATR] spreading leftwards. After [+ATR] vowel, however, it does not undergo VH and further blocks [+ATR] spreading rightwards. In this paper, such an opacity in Akan is attributed to constraint conjunction. (Pusan University of Foreign Studies)