Aspects of Birfor Phonology

Abstract

Bɩrfʊɔr remains one of the least studied languages in the Gur family. This thesis therefore, takes a detailed look at some Aspects of the phonology of the language. Data for this study is derived from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was gathered using the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Africa Area Word List 2 (SILCAWL 2) compiled by Douglas Boon (see wordlist in the appendix). Secondary sources include data from existing literature such as the literacy materials and books that have been developed by the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT) for their mother tongue literacy programme. The study which is descriptive in approach, begins with a description of the phonemic inventory of the language. Bɩrfʊɔr has nine oral vowels which in turn have their nasal and long counterparts. Vowel length and nasality are phonemic in Bɩrfʊɔr. The language has also been analyzed to have twenty-seven consonants including four glottalized (implosive) consonants, a phenomenon which is peculiar to Dagara and Busilu-Sissala in Ghana. Syllable structure and assimilatory processes have also been discussed . The study shows that, the unmarked syllable pattern is the CV whilst ATR vowel harmony, homorganic nasal assimilation and ATR spreading constitute some of the phonological processes discussed in the study. Since Bɩrfʊɔr is a tonal language, any linguistic analysis that does not include the phenomenon of tone will be considered inadequate. As a result, the final chapter of this thesis is devoted to tonal matter. Bɩrfʊɔr has three level tones, high, low and mid which perform both lexical and grammatical functions in the language.