The main vocalic segments in Abu' are represented by the primary
vowel phonemes /a, i, i, e, o, u/, which contrast with one another. In
addition., there are three long vowels: / e:, a:, u:/. The three long vowels contrast with their corresponding short vowels as rendered by the following minimal and sub-minimal pairs:
/werin/ 'to chew' versus /weer/ 'pig' in hunting language.
/wa' / [wa'] 'to eat' versus /waa' / [waal 'feast'
/bakuh/ Tbakuh] 'sticks' versus /baakuh/ [baakuh] 'nightmares'
/ukuha/ [ukuha] '1PL-shout' versus /uukuh / [uukuh] 'snakes'
3.2.6.1 Lax Vowels
Unstressed vowels usually form a secondary series of lax vowel allophones to their corresponding primary (stressed) vowels.
3«2.7 Vowel Length
Vowel length is conVc*s\v\)e in Abu'. Certain words are
distinguished from others primarily on the basis of vowel length. Thus the word /wa'/ [wa'] 'to eat' can be distinguished from /waa'/ [waa’] 'feast'; and. /ukuha/ [ukuha] 'PL-shout' from /uukuh/ [uukuh] 'snakes'.
Since consonant clusters are rare in occurrence, no long
consonants nor consonant gemination v^ere found. Vowels occurring in word final position tend to be prolonged in accordance with the intonation contours to be described below.
3.2.7.1 The status of barred-i ([-i])
Barred-i (high central vowel) is a full phoneme in the
language. Given equal vowel stress, the (barred-i) is found to
contrast with the high front tense unround vowel /i / as shown here: /dih/ ['d i h ] 'to shout!' versus /dih/ [dih] 'to hold firmly',
/nikam/ [ /riikäm] 'taro' versus /nika'/ fnika'] 'you die'. However, in unstressed syllables, barred-i is realized as a partially reduced high front stressed unrounded vowel and in cases where [i]
occurs elsewhere in the word, there is also a variant pronunciation closer
to [0]. As has been ssid, barred-i also gets inserted when certain
consonants come together and/or are caused to come together by
morphophonemic rules. In such cases, it is regarded an epethentic vowel
that gets inserted for euphony or for ease in articulation and thus it is phonemically insignificant and treated as an allophone of /i/.
3.2.8 Stress
Stress, the relative degree of ’inters\\'j vmW K which the syllables of an Abu' word are spoken, is characterized in three different ways. An unmarked syllable has the weakest stress in the word, the strongest stress is marked with a " y ". Secondary (or intermediate) level of stress is marked by " ' ". Words of one syllable show no stress mark
monosy_labic words is compared. The following seems to be the pattern of rules governing stress.
The first vowel of diphthong of bi- or poly-syllabic words
receives primary stress (diphthongs override vowels). Once that is
established, the secondary and the weakest stress is decided. Secondary
stress precedes or follows the primary stress, and then the weakest
stress follows or precedes the secondary stress, (in tri-syllabic words where primary stress is on the initial syllable, the secondary syllable is weakly stressed while the final syllable receives secondary stress.)
/dih / [dih] 'shout'!
/ bata / Fba£al 'bamboo'
/ wamuta / [wamuta] 'hardwood tree'
/nebeti / [n^bet^i nembet^i] 'tomorrow'
/dihihiru' / [dihihiru'] 'k.o.river snake
/dubaunikin/ [dubaunikin] 'small crayfish'
/ididiafuh / [ididiafuh ] 'k.o.liana'
The above stress rules are formalized below.
1. ^+syl]-- >[+stress]/#VCV#
2. [+syl]-— >[stress]/#VCVCV#
4. r + s y l 1- —
>[stress]/ # c V c V V C V C V C #
Stress is predictable and is therefore non-phonemic. 3-2.9 Tone and intonation contour
There is no evidence of tone being a contrastive phonological
feature in Abu'. Abu* is a non-tonal language. There are, however,
3.2.9-1 Sentence medial-intonation
The intonation contour accompanying sentence medial constructs (Ref. to sentence medial construction) rises slightly from the pitch of the stressed syllable of the phrase and spreads lightly over immediately following syllables, e.g.,
aleman n -a -ha bul man he(NCE)-R-kill
'A man killed a pig'
Pi?
3.2.9.2 Sentence final-intonation
In simple declarative statements, the intonation preceding the final pause falls on the penultimate syllable to a lower pitch and often lengthens the vowel of the final syllable of the clause. aleman man n-a-ha 3MSG-R-kill bul Pig 'A man killed a pig.'
In grammatical strings in which interrogation is not indicated by morphological signals of interrogation (q) , the intonation contour features a sharp rise to high pitch on the stressed syllable of the phrase-final syllable. The high pitch is maintained.
n -i-k-e-hi'i
3MSG-IRR-FUT-EV-come He is coming.
3.2.9-3 Responding intonation
Responding intonation is characterized by the sequence of low level, high level, low level pitch on the response form u t o k or on the final syllable of the clause, which is very long.
u fwo
L
h u '3*2.9*4 Sympathetic intonation
Sympathetic intonation is characterized by stress and length and falling pitch on the penultimate and final syllable of the clause,and
\\ occurs onlj with a few exclamations denoting sympathy, such as:
n-a-buwasif
2mix.SG.-NPST-sorry
'I am sorry for you(sg).' 3«2.9.5 Imperative Intonation
Imperative intonation is marked by ' ! ' . It is characterized by
stress and high pitch which continue throughout the clause until the final syllable. In the following example the heavy stress is signalled
by 11
hü'u ! aulaP !
go house
'Go to the house.!' 3.2.9.6 Emphatic intonation
Emphatic intonation is a contrastive phrase intonation indicated by a double vowel in the adjective being emphasized. It is indicated by length and stress and mid or high level pitch, stress and length on
the second syllable of the adjective modifying the noun being
emphasized. Contrastive examples.
numata' afu'w-i
woman good-AT5
'good woman.' numata' afu:'w-i
woman good very-AP
'Very good woman' 3.2.10 Diphthongs
Diphthongs in Abu' are realizable whenever there are vowel
clusters (excluding vowel length, which involves the same vowel being lengthened). When cW^WY^orv^s occur, articulation may begin at one end of the vowel quadrilateral and end in another, or the diphthongs may be interspersed with transitional glides _y and _w. For instance:
/ iah/ [iah ~ yah] 'footpath or road'
/ie' / [ie' ~ iye'] •I*
/amea/ Lamea ~ ^ ameya 1< 1 'mother'
/ uab/ [uab ~ uwab] 'night'
/niboa'/ ['niboa' ~"nimbowa'] 'two days ago'
The glides which develop agree in height, frontness or backness, roundness or unroundness as the preceding high vowels.