Journal of West African Languages Anniversary Volume 50 (2023) ADAPTATION OF [ATR] IN ENGLISH LOANWORDS IN EWULU: THE CASE OF ANAPTYCTIC HIGH-VOWELS Don Chukwuemeka Utulu Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria dcutulu@delsu.edu.ng Abstract Like English loanwords of some studied Nigerian languages (NigLs), the anaptyctic vowels /i/ and /u/ are employed in those of Ewulu to simplify consonant clusters and open closed syllables. Previous studies have shown that the choice of /i/ and /u/ is determined by Labial Harmony (LH) and Back/Rounding Harmony (B/RH) rules. Interestingly, Ewulu adopts additional anaptyctic high vowels /ɪ/ and /ʊ/, which are unmotivated in other NigLs, specifically, Yoruba, Emai and Urhobo (YEU). We account for the four high vowels in the Ewulu English loans and show that, in addition to LH and B/RH effects, Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) Harmony governs the choice of the inserted vowel. Accordingly, Ewulu speakers/listeners insert [+ATR] /i/ and /u/ in the loans, if the source vowels are [i:, ɪ, eɪ] and [əʊ, u:, ʊ], respectively. They insert [-ATR] /ɪ/ and /ʊ/, if the source vowels are [e, ɜ:, æ, ɑ:, aɪ, ɔɪ] and [aʊ, ʌ, ɔ:, ɒ], respectively. Given that the Ewulu adapters pronounce the English [i:, ɪ, eɪ, əʊ, u:, ʊ] and [e, ɜ:, ɑ:, æ, aɪ, ɔɪ, aʊ, ʌ, ɔ:, ɒ], in terms of their native [+ATR] and [-ATR] systems, respectively, we suggest that the implementation of these native vowels in the adaptation process takes place both in production and perception. Importantly, this study exposes the typology of vowel insertion in loanword adaptations across (West) African languages described as type /1IU/ languages, which have [ATR] contrast only in non-high vowels, and type /2IU/ languages, which have [ATR] contrast in two sets of high vowels /i, u/ versus /ɪ, ʊ/. Key words: ATR, Ewulu, loanword, perception, production, anaptyctic vowels Nwataokwu Di  ́ ka okwuo  ́ nu  ́ ndi  ́ oyibo di  ́ na   okwun  ́ nyepute ́ na asu  ́ su ́ oyibo ndi  ́ Nigeria, ndi  ́ Ewulu na   eweli fawé e  ́ li  ́ ntiye, nke bu /i/ na /u/, na eme ku  ́ ma okwu asu  ́ su  ́ ndi oyibo ka okwe ndí  Ewulu su  ́ okwun  ́ nyepute ́ . Ri  ́ saachi  ́ ndi gai  ́ ni  ́ kuni si  ́ na okwu asu  ́ su  ́ ndi  ́ oyibo go  ́ si  ́ ni ́ si  ́ na fawe ́ é  li  ́ /ɪ/ na /ʊ/ di  ́ na   Ewulu a di  ́ na na   okwu asu  ́ su  ́ ndi  ́ Yoroba, Emai and Ishobo. Ni me risaachi nkewe  ́ , anyi  ́ aba si  ́ na ofu ife e  ́ fu  ́ na eme ndi  ́ asusu Nigeria, ya meni ndi Ewulu ji eweli fawé é  li /i/ na /u/ na eti ye na   okwu asu  ́ su ́ ndi  ́ oyibo. Anyi  ́ aba si  ́ na ilenwepute na ilenwebe  ́ te  ́ , n  ́ di  ́ oyibo na akpo   Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) Harmony, na   ya na   eme ndi  ́ Ewulu na eweli fawé é  li /i/ ko  ́ bu  ́ /ɪ/, /u/ ko  ́ bu  ́ /ʊ/ na   etiye na   okwu asu  ́ su  ́ ndi  ́ oyibo. N ́ cho  ́ pu  ́ ta ri  ́ saachí nkeé ba go  ́ si  ́ na ndi  ́ Ewulu na eyuuzuu fawe ́e  ́ lí [+ATR] /i/ and /u/ o  ́ bu  ́ lu  ́ na fawe ́e  ́ li  ́ ndi  ́ oyibo bú [i:, ɪ, eɪ] and [əʊ, u:, ʊ]. Mana   o  ́ bu  ́ lu  ́ na fawe ́e  ́ li ndi  ́ oyibo bu  ́ [e, ɜ:, ɑ:, æ, aɪ, ɔɪ, aʊ, ʌ, ɔ:, ɒ] ndi  ́ Ewulu na eyuuzuu [-ATR] /ɪ/ and /ʊ/. N ́ cho  ́ pu  ́ ta ri  ́ saachí anyi  ́ aba si  ́ na okwukwuo  ́ nu ́ na okwuo  ́ nu  ́ nu  ́ , na nwané  bí  na eme ndi  ́ Ewulu na eyuuzuu fawe ́e  ́ lí ndi  ́ oyibo dika si na nwa bu fawe ́e  ́ lí ndi  ́ Ewulu. Maka elue ndi  ́ Ewulu na eyuuzuu fawe ́e  ́ lí ndi  ́ oyibo fú  , ri  ́ saachí anyi  ́ aba si  ́ na asu  ́ su  ́ ndi  ́ ojii (West) Africa)) di  ́ ishu ne  ́ bi  ́ : ndi  ́ weni fawe ́e  ́ lí e  ́ bu  ́ a si  ́ so  ́ , ya bu  ́ /i/ na /u/, na n  ́ di  ́ weni fawe ́e  ́ lí e  ́ no  ́ , ya bu  ́ /i, u/ na /ɪ, ʊ/. Isiokwu: ATR, Ewulu, okwun  ́ nyepute ́ , okwuo  ́ nu  ́ nu  ́ , fawé e  ́ li  ́ ntiye 1. Introduction Previous studies on English loanwords of African languages, referring particularly to studies on adaptations in Nigerian West Benue-Congo (WB-C) languages have shown that the /i/ and /u/ vowels are the two anaptyctic/epenthetic vowels adopted to break up consonant clusters and open closed syllables of English vocabularies (Pulleyblank 1988, Egbokhare 1990, 1998, Akinlabi, 1993, Yip 1993, Ufomata 2004, Oyebade 2006, Aziza and Utulu 2006). We draw a few examples from the English loanwords in WB-C languages: Yoruba, Emai, and Urhobo (YEU, hereafter) to substantiate the fact in (1), as follows: (1) Source Loanwords Gloss a. Yoruba i. bred burɛ ́ di ‘bread’ ii. ʤi:p ʤiipu ‘Jeep’ b. Emai i. keɪk ikeki ‘cake’ ii. mæp imapu ‘map’