Tone shifting in CiNsenga Pronouns

Abstract

This study seeks to illustrate tone shift rules involving two pronominal forms in ciNsenga, a Central Bantu language spoken in the Chipata and Mchinji districts of Zambia and Malawi respectively. The two pronominal forms are -é ka (alone/only) and -ónse (all/whole). It will be shown that when a toneless class noun precedes either of the two forms, its underlying high tone is shifted to the ultimate syllable of the noun that precedes it. In addition, the high tone from the quantitative pronoun shifts to the ultimate syllable of a verb in certain tense-aspects. This tone shift rule does not apply across a pause. The theoretical model employed in this study is that of Autosegmental Phonology.