Optimality Theory: Application of Dahl’s law in Kindia

This paper looks at Dahl’s law, a voice dissimilation process prevalent in Bantu languages, and how it is manifested in Kindia, a Kikuyu dialect. Dahl’s law is realized in varied ways in Zone E languages at dialectal level hence making it a significant divider amongst dialects of the same language (Kanana, 2011). Dialects tend to vary at phonological and morphological levels. While these variations can be identified, discussions of their viability can be discussed through Universal Grammar. Optimality Theory postulated by Prince and Smolensky (Prince & Smolensky 2004) can be used to establish the constraints that may be at play in determining the realization of Dahl’s law in Kindia. Some Zone E Bantu languages allow for the dissimilation of the voiceless stops such as /t/ and /k/ to voiceless fricatives, /ð/ and /ɣ/ respectively depending on the verb stem (Elwell, 2010). However, Kindia shows marked difference in that the voiceless velar stop /k/ in the verb initial is retained regardless of the verb stem. This markedness, allowing the retention of the voiceless velar stop /k/, is one of the dominant features that distinguish Kindia from other Kikuyu dialects. Using Optimality Theory, this study seeks to demonstrate the diverse and allowable manifestations of the Dahl’s law in Kindia different from other Kikuyu dialects. In the other Kikuyu dialects (Nyeri, Murang’a and Kiambu), the voiceless velar stop /k/ is realized as voiceless velar fricative /ɣ/ if the verb stem has a vowel initial or has the voiced velar fricative, /ð/. Kindia ranks constraints differently than other Kikuyu dialects.

Dahl’s law, Optimality Theory, voice dissimilation

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