Article
Methodological considerations in the study of sociophonetic variation in an underdocumented minority language: Somali Bantu Kizigua as a case study
Proceedings of Journées d’Études Toulousaines (JéTou 2013)
(2013)
Abstract
This paper presents an example of how research can be done on sociophonetic variation within a community of speakers of an underdocumented minority language. The paper begins with a discussion and critique of the Labovian sociolinguistic interview, which has formed the basis of a large body of work on variation. Current research on Somali Bantu Kizigua, a minority language from East Africa, is discussed. A modified Labovian sociolinguistic interview was implemented for collecting data on the language. Results from this study reveal evidence of a sound change in which a historically voiceless prenasalized velar stop, */nk/, becomes a voiceless glottal fricative, /h/, with uvular consonants as intermediate stages. This change appears to confirm speaker’s intuitions about age as a major factor in variation within the community. The paper concludes with a discussion of opportunities for increased collaboration between documentary linguists and sociolinguists.
Keywords
- documentary linguistics,
- obsolescence,
- sound change,
- fieldwork,
- Zigula,
- Mushunguli,
- sociolinguistics
Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Citation Information
Holman Tse. "Methodological considerations in the study of sociophonetic variation in an underdocumented minority language: Somali Bantu Kizigua as a case study" Proceedings of Journées d’Études Toulousaines (JéTou 2013) (2013) p. 129 - 139 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/holman-tse/7/