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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.

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Related questions

Answer true or false (each answer, 1 point).
1. ______ Clichés and slang are seldom used when writing formal English.
2. ______ Regular verbs do not form their past tenses by ending with -ed or -d.
3. ______ You will seldom confuse which pronoun or verb to use if you understand subjects and objects.
4. ______ Following or giving directions would be difficult if we didn't have words for signals.
5. ______ Redundant means extra, not needed.
6. ______ When a personal pronoun is used as an object in a sentence, it is in the nominative cose.
7. ______ The word shante is not a word for a feeling
8. ______ Action verbs do not end with -s or -es when the subject is singular.
9. ______ The word catch is an irregular verb.
10. ______ Nonstandard English is illiterate.
11. ______ Words for signals and feelings are not word categories.
 
Match these items (each answer, 2 points).
12. ______ eat                                                                         a. a verb ending used to correctly form subject verb agreement
13. ______ formal English                                                         b. nominative case pronouns
14. ______ lying, sitting, rising                                                  c. a word for feeling
15. ______ stop                                                                       d. verbs that do not have objects
16. ______ -ed or d                                                                  e. verbs that need objects
17. ______ laying, setting, raising                                              f. used for writing school assignments
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19. ______ she, we, they, you                                                    h. a verb ending used to form the past tense of regular verbs
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IPA                                                Gloss

pəluqʰ                                      ‘ash’

iika                                           ‘my eye’

aŋutʰkʰ                                    ‘two men’ 

kaːnəkʰt͡ʃakʰ                            ‘something that looks like frost’

pistəŋuːtʰ                                ‘they are servants’ 

arnakʰ                                      ‘two women’ 

tuqmikʰ                                    ‘bucket, pail’

pʰki                                           ‘concerning travel’

arnaqʰ                                      ‘woman’

aŋutʰqʰ                                     ‘man’

aŋutʰtʰ                                      ‘three or more men’

aquqʰ                                       ‘middle finger’ 

plaːiinaqʰ                                  ‘string’ 

arnatʰ                                       ‘three or more women’

kuikʰ                                         ‘river’



1. List preceding and following environments for the sets of segments [p t k q] and for [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ].

[p t k q]


before:
after:

[pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ]


before:
after:

2. These two classes of sounds are in complementary distribution. In a sentence or two, clearly state how you can tell that they’re in complementary distribution. Be as specific as possible.

3. Using features, characterize the environments where the alternation between plain and aspirated stops occurs. (One of the environments will be “elsewhere”.)

• [p t k q] occur:

• [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ] occur:

 

4. Using features, character the natural segment classes consisting of       [p t k q] and of [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ].

• [p t k q]:

• [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ]:

5. Write a rule (in formal notation) that describes the relationship between [p t k q] and [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ] in Central Alaskan Yup’ik.

6. Show derivations for the following surface forms.

UR

Rule

SR                 [aquqʰ]                 [aŋutʰkʰ]                 [tuqmikʰ]                 [pʰki]
 







Need help please I will like and follow you I provided all the Information I was given please make sure it’s correct

Grammar Drill - Punctuating Verbals
Verbals are forms of verbs that do not act as verbs in a sentence.
BACKGROUND:
Types of Verbals
 
   Participle- verb ending in ing or ed and acting as an adjective in the sentence [set off with commas unless essential]
E.g., Little Sam, covered with mud, was having the time of his life playing in the ditch. [Participle phrase - participle ends in ed]
E.g., Floating above the clouds in a hot air balloon, I felt as free as a bird. [Participle phrase acts as adjective modifying TI] [Note comma following participle phrase and the logical noun it modifies - "I"]
Participle error: Floating above the clouds in a hot air balloon, it was an exhilarating experience. [The participle phrase incorrectly modifies "it" - "it" was not floating above the clouds. This is a "dangling participle"; there is no logical noun it modifies.]
 
Gerund - verb ending in ing but acting as a noun in a sentence [is not set off with commas; watch subject verb agreement]
E.g., Playing in professional orchestras is my life's ambition. [Gerund phrase acts as a noun, here the subject of the sentence; gerunds/ gerund phrases are always singular and take a singular verb]
Infinitive - to plus a verb; acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence [punctuation - use a comma after if it begins the sentence AND is used as an adverb; watch for split infinitives]
E.g., To dream the impossible dream was the quest of Don Quixote. [infinitive phrase acting as a noun (subject) in the sentence]
E.g., To prepare for the track meet, the team worked out on weekends. [infinitive phrase acting as an adverb (answers why')] [punctuation - use a comma after if it begins the sentence AND is used as an
Avoid splitting the infinitive
Incorrect: His goal was to, by working on weekends. save enough money for college.
 Correct: His goal was to save enough money for college by working on weekends. 
 
Punctuating Verbals
Student Resource
ASSIGNMENT:
Correct each sentence in the paragraph per the following guidelines:
  • Each sentence in the paragraph includes at least one verbal.
  • Most of the verbals are punctuated incorrectly or have other errors - like incorrect subject/verb agreement, split infinitives, or dangling participles.
  • Some of the errors are subtle, so look carefully.
Note: The main verbs in the sentences are underlined, and the verbals and verbal phrases are color-coded: Participle, Gerund, Infinitive.
 
        Flying high above the earth in a hot air balloon, had always been a dream of mine. You can imagine my surprise to finally find that my dream was about to come true. Climbing carefully into the basket 1 felt a few misgivings. This flight was about to taking into consideration everything else in my mundane existence be the most adventurous event of my life. Flying, had always been a love of mine. When I was young, I had always loved to in my spare time pretend I was a pilot. Floating noiselessly above the trees, it was like a dream. Our balloon was the one, sporting a red and white flag. Another balloon flying a blue and white flag sailed effortlessly past us. It probably won't come as a surprise to you that flying hot air balloons are now my favorite pastime. Feeling free and connected to the sky there is nothing like it!

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