Phonotactic constraints in Runyankore syllable consonant clustering

Abstract

This study investigated the phonotactic constraints of consonant clustering in Runyankore syllable structure. Runyankore is among the over 40 indigenous languages spoken in Uganda. It falls under the Bantu language family. Languages have different constraints or restrictions that affect the consonant combinations that appear in their syllables and because of these differences; a person cannot tell whether the sound combinations which are permissible in one language are also possible in the other. The main target of this study was to investigate the phonotactic constraints that determine syllable consonant clustering in Runyankore. The aim of this study was to identify different consonant clusters in Runyankore syllables, to categorize them and to describe the phonotactic constraints which determine the combining of consonant members in a cluster. The study was based on the Sonority Sequencing Principle (SSP) and the Minimal Sonority Distance Principle (MSDP); a framework which centers on the sonority status of the consonant members in a cluster. The study required data in form of syllables from Runyankore words and this data was obtained from reference materials and through elicitation method. The consonant clusters that were identified from Runyankore words were analysed by categorising them and explaining the mechanisms that lead to clustering in Runyankore. One of major findings is that the Runyankore syllable onset can have a maximum of three consonants in a cluster. In addition, a three consonant cluster in the structure CCCV must have the third consonant as a glide because of the sonority status of the participating consonant members. Glides have higher sonority and thus appear next to the nucleus sound. Regarding phonotactic constraints, it was found out that a cluster of two-member consonants is dependent on sonority, similarity, voice and place of articulation of the sound members. The study provides an analysis of these phonotactics and restrictions on onset clusters that makes reference to the SSP and MSDP. The study will contribute to linguistic practice basically to teachers and learners in Runyankore teaching and learning, lexicographers, dictionary writers and corpus linguists when finding data on sound patterns in Runyankore. The study points to further areas of study including comparative phonotactic analysis with related Bantu languages, morpho-phonological influences on consonant clustering, sociolinguistic variation in phonotactic realization and computational modeling of phonotactic constraints.