Q.

Kikuyu (Clements 1985b) has alternations due to interacting processes which affect
place of articulation, continuancy, and voicing, as illustrated by the following verb forms:

Imperative 1 sg. imperfect

βur-a m-bur-eetε ‘lop off ’
tεm-a n-dεm-εεtε ‘cut’
reh-a n-deh-eetε ‘pay’
cin-a ɲ-jin-eetε ‘burn’
kom-a ŋ- gom-εεtε ‘sleep’
γor-a ŋ- gor-eetε ‘buy’

a. For each of these three alternations, decide which pairs of markedness and faithfulness
constraints are relevant. Rank each pair of constraints.

Answer a)

i) Constraints on place of articulation:

n-cin- eetε AGREE(place) IDENT-IO(place)

ncineetɛ *!
ɲjineetɛ *

AGREE(place) >> IDENT-IO(place)

ii) Constraints on continuancy:

n- ɣor-eetε AGREE(manner) IDENT-IO(manner)

ŋgoreetε *
nɣoreetε *!

AGREE(manner)>> IDENT-IO(manner)

iii) Constraints on voicing:

n-tem-eetɛ *Nc̥ IDENT-IO(ObsVce)

ntemeetɛ *!
ndemeetɛ *

*Nc̥ >> IDENT IO (ObsVce)

b. Try to explain the fact that only prefix consonants alternate in place of articulation, while
initial root consonants remain stable. What assumptions do you make about the input form
of the prefix? Discuss any consequences for Lexicon Optimization.

b) Only prefixes change in place of articulation and this assimilation is motivated

from the root initial consonant. If root had to change according to the prefix, many
words would have had similar root realization, that is to say, all the roots would
only have [d] or [t] as surface realization if the preceding prefix ends in /-n/. The
 form of the prefix is /n/. For a learner, this prefix will be optimized either in the
form of place assimilated nasal such as [m, n, ɲ, ŋ] or in base form /n/ depending
on his/her realization of the assimilation process.

c. Integrate the three rankings found under (a–b) into a total ranking. Are any of the pairs
of constraints found in (a) dependent upon other pairs? Motivate each sub-ranking by a
form.

c) Mutual ranking: Nc̥ , AGREE(manner), AGREE(place)>>IDENT-IO(manner),

IDENT-IO(place), IDENT-IO(ObsVce):

n-cin- eetε AGREE(place) IDENT-IO(place)

ncineetɛ *!
ɲjineetɛ *

n-tem-eetɛ *Nc̥ IDENT-IO(ObsVce)

ntemeetɛ *!
ndemeetɛ *

n- ɣor-eetε AGREE(manner) IDENT-IO(manner)

ŋgoreetε *
nɣoreetε *!

n- ɣor-eetε AGREE(manner) AGREE(place)

ŋgoreetε
nɣoreetε *! *

n-kom-eetε *Nc̥ AGREE (place)

ŋgoreetε
nkoreetε *! *

d. Present tableaux of βur-a and m-bur-eetɛ.

n-βur-eetɛ *Nc̥ AGREE AGREE IDENT-IO IDENT-IO IDENT-IO

(manner) (place) (manner) (ObsVce) (place)
nβureetɛ *! *
nbureetɛ *! *
mbureetɛ *