Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of Syllabic Adaptation of English Loanwords in Standard Kiswahili
Saleh Batais*
Citation : Saleh Batais*, Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of Syllabic Adaptation of English Loanwords in Standard Kiswahili International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature 2019;7(7):4-9.
Based on lists of well-established English loanwords and relying on Optimality Theory, this paper investigates the syllabic adaptation of problematic structures of English loanwords in Standard Kiswahili. It has been found that word-final singleton and complex codas are never tolerated in Kiswahili; therefore, they are repaired via edge vowel epenthesis (e.g., /ti.mu/ "team"; /lif.ti/ "lift"), displaying a strong preference for open syllables (i.e., NOCODA#) and syllable contact pairs in Kiswahili (i.e., SYLLCONT) and maintaining the contiguity of corresponding segments in the input and the output (i.e., CONTIGUITY-IO). With respect to the type of the epenthetic vowel, it is either coronal /i/ (e.g., /pla.ni/ "plan") or labial /u/ (e.g., /gra.mu/ "gram") depending on the place feature (i.e., coronal or labial) of the consonant immediately to its left (i.e., AGREEL(CPL)). Finally, word-initial singleton and complex onsets remain intact in English loanwords (e.g., /kla.bu/ "club"), revealing the importance of the onset (i.e. ONSET) requirement in Kiswahili and obeying input contiguity (i.e., CONTIGUITY-IO), sonority sequencing principle (i.e., SON-SEQ), and syllable contact law (i.e., SYLLCONT)-which all might be violated if edge/medial vowel epenthesis was triggered to adapt onset consonants in English loanwords.