Tone in Herero (Bantu, R31): Focus on the Tonal Patterns and Downstep

Abstract

This paper reviews the tonal system of Herero, a Bantu language spoken in Namibia and Botswana, and discusses the phenomenon of high tone descent observed in this language. In Herero, when three or more high tones occur in a row, the second and subsequent Hs are sometimes lowered. Previous studies have explained this phenomenon as a downstep H caused by a floating L. By taking a closer look at the environment in which this occurs, this paper argues that this is a downstep H that occurred for another reason.