toneme copy

If a word begins with a L toneme and the preceding word within a tonal phrase ends in a H toneme, the H toneme is copied on the subsequent syllable(s) thus erasing one L toneme: /ɗɔ̃̀ɔ̃̀/ ‘husband’ → é ɗɔ̃́ɔ̃̀ [H é][H ɗɔ̃́][L ɔ̃̀] ‘your (sg.) husband’.

toneme copy

If a word begins with a toneless syllable(s), and the preceding word within a tonal phrase ends in a H toneme, the H toneme is copied on the subsequent syllable(s) thus occupying the originally toneless space: /ɗã/ ‘wife’ → é ɗã́ ‘your (sg.) wife’

Obligatory Contour Principle

If a word begins with a L toneme, and the preceding word within a tonal phrase ends in a L toneme, the initial L toneme of the second word is replaced by H: /yɗɛ̀ɛ/ ‘eye’ → ɗɛ̃̀ yɗɛ́ɛ́ [L ɗɛ̃̀][H yɗɛ́ɛ] ‘child’s eye’.

This rule is applied after:

• L toneme copying

toneme copy

If a word begins with a toneless syllable(s), and the preceding word within a tonal phrase ends in a L toneme (here again, with the exception of the 3sg. non-subject pronoun à#), the L toneme is copied onto the toneless segment. This rule is necessarily followed by the L tone dissimilation rule: /ti/ ‘uncle’ → (Sítà tì) → Sítà tí ‘Sita’s uncle’.

tonal spread

If an affirmative perfective form of a verb belonging to a mobile type appears within a tonal phrase preceded by a H tone, this H tone spreads on the initial segment of the verbal stem, thus resulting on the shrinking of the grammatical L-tonal span. H tone spread rule is also applied in postpositional groups with postposition ɗà ‘under’ where it results in a falling tonal contour on one syllable

fusion of tonemes

If each syllable of a heavy foot is assigned a L toneme at the underlying level and the initial L toneme is not replaced by H through the L toneme dissimilation rule, both L tonemes are fused into one, e.g. /kpàà/ → [L kpàà] ‘dry’ (rather than *[L kpà][L à]).

This rule is applied after:

• H toneme copying with a L toneme deletion
• L toneme dissimilation