A TONAL TAXONOMY OF CHUNGLI AO VERBS Daniel Bruhn ...

A Tonal Taxonomy of Chungli Ao Verbs
→ a²kuŋ² -əɹ³¹ ‘crows’
HTS |
M H L
In deriving the preterite, which is simply an unsuffixed stem, the floating M
undergoes application of tone fusion during the word-level cycle:
(23) a- /kuŋ/ → /akuŋ/ → a²kuŋ² ‘crowed’
| | fusion fusion
M M M (linked tones) M M (all tones) M
Class 2 is thus unique among the classes, because the fusion of the stem-final
floating M tone results in the tonal structure of Class 2 preterite forms being
distinct from that of the bare stems.
4.3.3. Trigger-suffixes
When a Class 2 verb stem is concatenated with the imperative suffix /-aŋ M /, the
floating M is simply fused with the underlying M tones of the stem and /-aŋ M /,
respectively:
(24) /ɹəpɹaŋ/ -aŋ → ɹəp²ɹaŋ²-aŋ² ‘watch!’
| fusion
M M M M
When the verb stem is concatenated with present-perfect /-u H ku M / or
immediate /-taɹ HL /, the floating M cannot delink the suffixal H 22 , and
consequently fuses with the stem tone:
(25) /ɹəpɹaŋ/ -u ku → ɹəp²ɹaŋ² -u³ku² ‘has watched’
| | fusion | |
M M H M M H M
(26) /ɹəpɹaŋ/ -taɹ → ɹəp²ɹaŋ² -taɹ³¹ ‘is now watching’
fusion
M M H L M H L
4.4. Class 3 (M.M ~ H.H)
4.4.1. Stem, irrealis, & present
Class 3 consists of disyllabic verb stems and shares the M.M tone pattern of
Class 2. A few Class 3 stems bear M.H patterns (e.g. sa²juʔ³ ‘taught’), but this
22 Perhaps due to a lack of MTS (Mid-tone spreading) in the language or a disinclination for H
tones to delink.
17