Voiced Fricative Geminates in Kuroshima Ryukyuan

Abstract

This paper discusses voiced fricative geminates in Kuroshima Ryukyuan, as in /zza/ ‘grass’.

1. The voiced fricative geminates and singletons have phonological distinction.

2. The voiced fricative geminates must be set in the base form.

3. Although the realisation of the voiced geminate fricatives shows variants, the variation can reasonably be understood on the basis of a typological tendency.

The voiced fricative geminates and singletons differ in the morphophonology when they occur in non-initial position of compounds. While the geminates may be devoiced, the singletons never show such an alternation. Upon this morphophonological distinction, it follows that they have phonological distinction. Furthermore, the reasons for speculating the voiced fricative geminates on the base form are presented through investigation on its language specific phenomena (verbal conjunction and vowel assimilation) and the typological tendency.