| This thesis analyzes the phonology of the Kam tone system, a system that previously has received primarily historical, comparative, and phonetic treatment. In doing so, it shows that the Kam data have much to contribute to theories of tonal phonology.; Phonetically, Kam has nine tones; phonemically, it has six. The distribution of these tones is related to three factors: vowel length, aspiration, and glottalization. In checked syllables, contour tones occur on long vowels, while level tones occur on short vowels. An optimality theoretic version of Fu's (1995) moraic theory is best able to explain this distribution. Also, initial aspiration lowers the following tone contour, while final glottalization is phonologically equivalent to high register. Similar patterns exist in other languages, but no existing tonal theory explains this interaction between spread and constricted glottis and tone. Thus, this thesis provides direction for further research in the field of tone. |
