Vowel Sequence and Phonemic Status of /h/ and /ŋ/ in Ígálà

Abstract

Studies in formal linguistics over the past one decade have not only shown that phonotactic constraints are universal, but that parametric variations abound cross-linguistically, hence the need for language specific investigations. This study investigates vowel sequence and the phonemic status of /h/ and /ŋ/ in Ígálà. It employs three separate wordlists to gather Ígálà words with vowel sequence, glottal fricative /h/ and velar nasal /ŋ/ respectively. The method for elicitation of segments was mainly perceptual. The study reveals that out of all Ígálà consonants, only the velar nasal /ŋ/ occurs in word final position and that the vowel sequence allowed in the language is restricted to /i/ occurring either before or after another vowel. It concludes that /h/ occurs consistently only before /i/ in the language.