On Issue of Suprasegmental Assimilation in Igbo: A Review

Abstract

This paper, which is a review of Uwaezuoke’s previous study, re-investigates assimilation in Igbo with the aim of not only establishing that tone assimilation exists in the language, but that it occurs both within a word and across word boundary. Primary data from Ogbunike Igbo variety and secondary data from existing literatures are analysed using descriptive method. From the results, tone assimilation exists in Igbo, and occurs both within a word and across word boundary in connected speech. For example, where the first noun ends in a down-stepped tone and the second noun begins with a high tone, the down-stepped tone of the final vowel of the first word assimilates the high pitch of the initial vowel of the second word, e.g. elu? ‘top’ + ?l?? ‘house’ ? elu ?l?? ‘house top’. Where the first word has a H ?H tone sequence and the second word has a L L tone sequence, the down-stepped tone of the final vowel of the first word assimilates to the high tone of the initial vowel of the first word, e.g. ego? ‘money’ + i?te? ‘pot’ ? ego i?te? ‘money for pot’. Also, where the first word is in its infinitive form with a H ?H tone sequence and the second word has a H H tone sequence, the high tone of the initial vowel of the second word drops its high pitch and completely assimilates the reduced high pitch of the final vowel of the first word, ibe? ‘to cry’ + akwa ‘cry’ ? ibe? a?kwa ‘crying’. Tone assimilation could be regressive or progressive.