A phonological study of Tamazight Berber, dialect of the Ayt Ndhir [Ressource électronique] / Jilali Saib

Doctor of philosophy : Linguistics : University of California : 1976

Bibliogr. p. 188-194

The present study focuses on the major areas of Berber phonology within the framework of generative phonology (cf. Chomsky and Halle, 1968). Specifically, one subdialect of Tamazight, Ayt Ndhir, is taken as the focal dialect and serves as the starting point for a description encompassing other subdialects of Tamazight, and for some topics, Berber in general. The aim of the study is primarily to provide a descriptively adequate account of several phonological processes operating in Berber. Some theoretical discussion is included especially in those cases where the Berber data have some bearing on the issues. Chapter 1 specifies the approach followed in the study as well as its scope. It also discusses the status of Berber and the state of Berber linguistics. Chapter 2 discusses the segmental phonemes of Tamazight Berber and provides the Morpheme Structure Conditions which are applicable to them. Chapter 3 is concerned with the question of how geminate consonants should he treated in Berber. The possible approaches to geminates are discussed and a case is made for treating these segments as sequences of two identical consonants in Berber. In addition, a general convention for interpreting each of the two identical consonants in the sequences as redundantly [+tense] is introduced and defended. It is also claimed that the mutual strengthening effect that the two elements of geminate sequences have on one another is responsible for the non-application of weakening processes to geminates. Chapter ^ investigates the process of spirantization in Berber from both the diachronic and synchronic points of view. In the diachronic account, questions concerning the cause of this weakening process, the degree of its spread within the inventory of segments as well as its spread throughout the Northern Berber domain, are considered. In the synchronic account, questions pertaining to the representation of segments of Tamazight-Ayt Ndhir, especially the representation of simple/geminate consonant alternations and the stop/spirant alternations are discussed. The conclusion is that this dialect no longer has a spirantization rule, and that spirants, which historically derive from single stops, are posited as underlying segments. Chapter 5 deals with the problem of schwa in Berber. Specifically, the question of whether schwas are inserted or present in underlying representations of and verb stems is examined in detail. This examination consists of proposing, motivating, and evaluating a number of analyses possible within the generative framework. It also considers recent proposals concerning "abstractness" and "concreteness" of underlying represnetations, and alternative orderings of phonological rules. It is concluded that the "concrete" analysis - in which all schwas are in the underlying representation - is superior. Chapter 6 investigates the changes which affect the initial vowel of the feminine nouns when they occur in "construct state" environments (i.e. when the noun is in the nominative or the oblique case). The traditional approaches to the problem, which posit a distinction between constant and non-constant vowels, are critically evaluated. An analysis based on the syllable structure of the nouns and motivated by a search for phonological conditioning is presented and defended. The Appendix provides supplementary information on the plural and intensive form (i.e. imperfect aspect) derivations, which were only briefly touched upon in the main body of the study.