1 Segmental and tonal feet in Bamana (Bambara): Evidence for uniform structure Christopher R. Green University of Maryland - Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL) ACAL 42, UMD June, 10-12, 2011 1. Recent work illustrates that Bamana(Bambara) contains maximally disyllabic prosodic feet that play a role in the language‟s segmental phonology (Green 2010). Earlier work proposed analogous structures at play in the tonal phonology of Bamana (Leben 2002, 2003; Weidman & Rose 2006) and its cousins Maninka and Jahanke (Bamba 1991) 2. Green‟s work showcased two complementary but competing segmental processes, namely Vowel Syncope (VS) and Velar Consonant Deletion (VCD), that rely on disyllabic foot structure for their proper application. a. Prosodic feet provide a domain for the proper application for VS and VCD. Instances where these processes fail to occur and their respective outcomes are predicted by this structure. b. The application (or failed application) of VS and VCD within these feet illustrate a preference for left-edge complexity in the language. 3. Leben‟s work on tonal feet, in particular, proposed that these structures provide a domain for association of the language‟s tonal melodies such that a H or LH melody is associated with a tonal foot . a. While vowels on the segmental tier are the elements to which tones associate, minimal reference is made to the language‟s segmental structure. b. Resulting analyses provide some conflicting characteristics defining the properties of tonal feet and their construction. 4. By considering the segmental and tonal phonology of Bamana together, a clearer definition of these structures and their characteristics emerges suggesting that segmental and tonal feet in this language may, in fact, be a single uniform structure. a. The segmental processes of VS and VCD alongside the tonal processes of Affaissement (AF) and Compacité Tonale (CT) permit further exploration into the ways and extent to which segmental and tonal feet represent a singular structure in Bamana. 1 5. What are segmental v. tonal feet? A basic, working definition encompasses that they are prosodic groupings on either the segmental tier, tonal tier, or both that relate to notions of metrical structure. a. Footing on the segmental tier L H | | (muso) b. Footing on the tonal tier (L H) | | muso c. Footing on both tiers (L H) | | (muso) d. The question is to what extent to these groupings interact with and/or influence one another such that they can/cannot be considered separable entities. 6. Analyses referring to tonal feet in Bamana converge on the optimally disyllabic nature of these structures. No strong stance is taken on exhaustiveness of footing. Key conflict concerns footing directionality. a. Leben‟s analysis draws chiefly upon trisyllabic words from Creissels (1978) including those associated with “minor tonal schemas” to provide compelling support for tonal feet in the language. Proposes lexically-specified directionality of footing. 1 Generally speaking, Affaissement or „settling‟ is a natural tonal process in which LHH  LLH. It is witnessed across an intervening boundary in Bamana. Compacité tonale or „tonal compactness‟ is a process that neutralizes the surface tonal melody of compounds and certain other constructions.