2.2 Vowel archiphoneme /V/ and other problematic cases.

Ordinarily, the vowel for each syllable is given in underlying forms and is independent of vowels in adjoining syllables and independent of adjacent consonants. However, there are some rules given in the next chapter (V-Assimilation P-37, V-Ablaut P-38, and V-Fronting P-50), each of which subsumes an assortment of morphologically restricted cases where vowel quality is determined by the vowel of the next syllable (P-37), by a following "palatal-type" consonant (P-50), or by an irregular ablaut process (P-38).

In many cases, a vowel which is affected by one or more of these rules in some contexts is unaffected by them in others, so that we can determine the underlying vowel quality. However, in a very small number of morphemes, the surface quality of a given vowel is always determined by one of these rules (P-37, -38, -50), so we represent the vowel in underlying forms by the archiphoneme symbol //V// (or long //V://).

The morphemes in question are certain component morphemes in pronominal prefixes used with verbs, under the maximally abstract analysis of Chapter 9. These morphemes are lExNonsg //nV:-// or //nV-// (length depends on morphological position), 1InNondu //ngV:-//, and Nonsg //-w2V-// in some positions. The lExNonsg and 1InNondu morphemes are always followed by at least one other (nonzero) component morpheme within the pronominal prefix. This is true of the cases of Nonsg //-w2V-// which we are interested in; there are some other cases where the Nonsg morpheme is final within the pronominal prefix, but there it acquires any of three surface vowels (/a i u/) depending on morphological factors, so no general base form for the morpheme can be given with a fully specified underlying vowel. The lExNonsg, 1InNondu, and (relevant cases of the) Nonsg morpheme become /a/ (or /a:/) before Inverse morpheme //-N-// (nasal archiphoneme, with ablaut affecting preceding vowel), and assimilate the vowel quality of the following syllable in all other combinations.

There are some other component morphemes in pronominal prefixes which are subject to V-Ablaut P-38 or V-Assimilation P-37 (or both) in some contexts, but they also occur in some combinations where we think we can identify an underlying vowel quality (see discussions of P-38 and P-37, next chapter).

Another place where there is some difficulty in identifying a unique underlying vowel quality is at the end of a verb root (i.e., just before the inflectional suffix marking tense-aspect, etc.). For example, consider these inflected forms of the verb 'to arrive': Past1 /=w2ali-ny/, Past2 /=w2ala-ngi/, Nonpast1 /=w2ala-ng/, Nonpast2 =w2ali:-'/, Nonpast3 /=w2ali-Ø/, and Evitative /=w2ala-ngan/. I take roots of this type as ending in //a//, hence //=w2ala-// is the dictionary representation; this is because, in the context of the overall morphological analysis of inflected verb forms (Chapter 11), it appears possible in this class (A2) to take surface /=w2ali-/ as from //=w2ala-// with V-Fronting P-50 before Past1 /-ny/ and Nonpast3 //-y//, and surface /=w2ali:/ in the Nonpast2 as reflecting VV-Contraction P-49 from //=w2ala-i//. While the final surface /a/ in the Nonpast1 can also be explained away (this time by V-Ablaut P-38), there is no obvious or independently supported rule for deriving final /a/ in the Past2 or Evitative forms from any distinct underlying vowel; we therefore set up underlying //a//. Similar arguments are used for the other inflectional verb classes (Chapter 11). However, it must be recognised that the arguments in this instance are often indirect, and that we are dealing with rather fused sequences where the morpheme boundary's location (not to mention the precise underlying segmental transcription) is perhaps synchronically ambiguous. See discussion in §11.3-4.

In other morphological environments, underlying transcription of vowel qualities is straightforward. This remark applies to noun stems, verbs except for root-final vowels, case suffixes, postpositional suffixes, derivational prefixes and compound initials, prefixes (except component morphemes within pronominal prefixes in a few cases), and uninflected particles.