The Interaction of Obstruent Features and Tone in Ekegusii

Abstract

This study investigated the interaction between obstruent features and tonal realisation in Ekegusii, a Bantu language spoken predominantly in south-western Kenya. The study was guided by Grounded Optimality Theory, which facilitated the interpretation of tonal patterns in relation to the articulatory, acoustic, and phonological properties of obstruents through the interaction of markedness and faithfulness constraints. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted, integrating quantitative acoustic analysis with qualitative phonological interpretation. Speech data were collected from native Ekegusii speakers using purposively selected lexical items representing different obstruent and tonal environments. The recorded data were analysed acoustically using Praat, with fundamental frequency (F0) as the principal acoustic correlate of tone. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to establish whether F0 differences across the investigated obstruent environments were statistically significant. The analysis revealed systematic relationships between obstruent properties and F0 realisation in adjacent tone-bearing vowels. The study concludes that Ekegusii tonal realisation is conditioned not only by underlying tonal specifications but also by the segmental environments in which tones are phonetically realised.