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Article published In:
Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
Vol. 41:2 (2018) ► pp.133–174

The synchronic and diachronic phonology of Va

A Wa-Lawa language of Yunnan

| Academia Sinica

Va, an obscure language of Southwestern Yunnan, belongs to the Wa-Lawa cluster under the Waic subgroup of Palaungic in the Austroasiatic language family. This article presents an overview of Va synchronic phonology and an account of its evolution from the Proto-Wa-Lawa sound system reconstructed by Gérard Diffloth. Modern Va phonology is characterized by fully monosyllabic word structure, reduced syllable canon, and a robust three-tone system. Its atypical phonological profile from an Austroasiatic perspective and its tonogenesis may be directly attributed to the sociolinguistic ambience of the Va-speaking areas. The phonological innovations discussed herein, including onset-driven tone splitting rules and coda-driven vowel splitting rules, will help determine the language’s distinct status within the Wa-Lawa language cluster.

Keywords: Austroasiatic family, Palaungic branch, Wa language cluster, synchronic phonology, tonogenesis, contact-induced sound change
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Synchronic phonology
    • 2.1Word structure
    • 2.2The Va syllable
      • 2.2.1Onsets
        • 2.2.1.1Simple onsets
        • 2.2.1.2Complex onsets
      • 2.2.2Rhymes
        • 2.2.2.1Nuclei
          • 2.2.2.1.1Simple vowels
          • 2.2.2.1.2Vowel clusters
        • 2.2.2.2Codas
      • 2.2.3Tone
  • 3.Phonological history
    • 3.1Sound changes affecting onsets
      • 3.1.1Simplex onsets
      • 3.1.2Complex onsets
        • 3.1.2.1Preaspirated sonorants
        • 3.1.2.2Pre-glottalized sonorants
        • 3.1.2.3Post-glottalized liquids
        • 3.1.2.4Stop/nasal+liquid clusters
        • 3.1.2.5Other consonant cluster types
    • 3.2Sound changes affecting nuclei
      • 3.2.1PWL simple vowels
      • 3.2.2Vowel clusters
    • 3.3Sound changes affecting codas
    • 3.4Tonogenesis
      • 3.4.1Low tone
      • 3.4.2High tone
      • 3.4.3Mid tone
      • 3.4.4Chronological ordering of the tones
      • 3.4.5Tonal trifurcation: Internal and areal motivations
  • 4.Summary and concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 1 February 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.18010.sun
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Cited by 1 other publications

Sun, Jackson T.-S.
2020. Synchronic and diachronic phonology of Lavïa. Language and Linguistics. 語言暨語言學 21:2 ► pp. 285 ff. DOI logo

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