Maasai
Consider the data below from Maasai (Eastern Nilotic; Kenya and Tanzania), which consists of verbs marked for first person singular (I), second person singular (you), and third person singular (she/he/it) agreement. Maasai vowels show a [ ±ATR ] contrast, which is similar (but not identical to) the tense/lax distinction in a language like English. In Maasai, [i u e o] are [ +ATR ] , while [ɪ ʊ ɛ ɔ a] are [ −ATR ] .
1st sing. 2nd sing. 3rd sing. Gloss
a-rɪk ɪ-rɪk ɛ-rɪk ‘cause nausea’
a-ɪlɛp ɪ-ɪlɛp. ɛ-ɪlɛp ‘ascend’
a-bɔ ɪ-bɔl ɛ-bɔl ‘hold its mouth’
a-bʊl ɪ-bʊl ɛ-bʊl ‘prosper’
a-raɲ ɪ-raɲ ɛ-raɲ ‘sing’
a-pɛt ɪ-pɛt ɛ-pɛt ‘lean on’
a-rik i-rik e-rik ‘lead it’
a-lep i-lep e-lep ‘milk it’
a-bol i-bol e-bol ‘open it’
a-bul i-bul e-bul ‘pierce it’
1. List all the alternants of the following prefixes.
• 1st singular:
• 2nd singular:
• 3rd singular:
2. What is the natural class of vowels that show an alternation in this data? Using features, characterize the prefix vowels that alternate, making sure that you distinguish those vowels from the prefix vowels that do not alternate.
3. Some of the alternants are a vowel that’s [ +ATR ] and some are a vowel that’s [ −ATR ]. For the alternating prefixes, list the first vowel that comes after it in the root. For instance, [ɪ] is the first vowel in the root after the prefixes in the words with the meaning “cause nausea.”
• After [ +ATR ] prefixes:
• After [ −ATR ] prefixes:
4. Characterize the phonological environments from the previous question using distinctive features.
• After [ +ATR ] prefixes:
• After [ −ATR ] prefixes:
5. First, state in plain language how the vowel in the prefix gets its specification for [ ±ATR ]. When is the vowel [ +ATR ], and when is it [−ATR]? Just a sentence or two is fine, but be sure to use technical vocabulary when appropriate.
6. Now, write a rule in formal notation describing the alternation using the information you’ve learned above. You will probably need to write an α-rule.
7. The UR for the first person prefix is clearly /a/, since it does not alternate. What about the second and third person prefixes? From this data, is it possible to decide which alternant is the UR (e.g. is it /e/ or /ɛ/ for the third person prefix)? Explain your reasoning.
