Lexical Tone

An inventory of minimally distinctive pairs and sets in the lexicon will give you some idea of the functional load of tone in the lexicon.

(Yaka [Bantu pygmy, Central African Republic])

Note:

• Tone is marked as follows:
  • The acute accent |á| means high tone
  • The unmarked |a| means low tone

These are examples of lexical tone in nouns.

• mbóka village’
• mboká ‘field’
• mbóka ‘civet cat’
• kusu ‘termite hill’
• kúsú ‘species of tree’
• mɔkɔ ‘evening’
• mɔkɔ́ ‘kind of honey’
• mɔ́kɔ ‘ceinture degrimpage’

These are examples of lexical tone in verbs:

• tanga ‘to drip’
• tánga ‘to count, to read’
• kála ‘to take all in one go’
• kala ‘to escape’

(Ngiti [Central Sudanic, Zaire])
 

Note:

• Tone is marked as follows:
  • The acute accent |á| means high tone
  • The grave accent |à| means low tone
  • The unmarked |a| means mid tone
  • The wedge |ǎ| means rising tone

These are examples of lexical tone in pronouns:

• ma
• mǎ ‘we’
• nyɨ ‘you’ (singular)
• nyɨô ‘you’ (plural)
• àbadhi ‘he’
• abádh" ‘they’