TY  - CHAP
A1  - Kügler, Frank
T1  - Tone and intonation in Akan
T2  - Intonation in African Tone Languages
N2  - This chapter provides an account of the intonation patterns in Akan (Kwa, Niger-Congo). Tonal processes such as downstep, tonal spreading and tonal replacement influence the surface tone pattern of a sentence. In general, any Akan utterance independent of sentence type shows a characteristic down-trend in pitch. This chapter proposes that Akan employs a simple post-lexical tonal grammar that accounts for the shapes of an intonation contour. The unmarked post-lexical structure is found in simple declaratives. The downward trend of an intonation contour is shaped by local tonal interactions (downstep), and sentence-final tonal neutralization. In polar questions, an iota-phrase-final low boundary tone (L%) accounts for the intensity increase and lengthening of the final vowel compared to a declarative. Complex declaratives and left-dislocations show a partial pitch reset at the left edge of an embedded iota-phrase. Underlying lexical tones are not affected by intonation with the exception of sentence-final H-tones.
KW  - downstep
KW  - low boundary tone
KW  - polar question
KW  - constituent question
KW  - imperative
KW  - complex declarative
KW  - Akan
KW  - pitch register reset
KW  - prosodic phrasing
KW  - tonal neutralization
KW  - avoidance
KW  - lax question prosody
Y1  - 2017
SN  - 978-3-11-050352-4; 978-3-11-048479-3
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110503524-004
SN  - 1861-4191
VL  - 24
SP  - 89
EP  - 129
PB  - De Gruyter Mouton
CY  - Berlin
ER  -