Comparative Phonology of ��d��m�� Dialects

This work is a comparative description of the phonology of Ìdɔmà dialects. For the data collection we used Roger Blench‘s word list of basic lexicon and culture-free vocabulary items. The data were analyzed using the basic principles of the Classical Phonemics and Mass Comparison model. The study is an attempt to provide linguistic evidence for the genetic relationships amongst Ìdɔmà dialects. The study reveals that all the dialects attest to seven vowel system with three types of vowel harmony (+ATR -ATR and NEUTRAL). Nasalized vowels are attested. Vowel lengthening occurs to mark adverbials exclamations interrogation and adjectival. Consonants in Ìdɔmà range from 27-30 depending on the dialect. All the dialects attest to five places of articulation (labial alveolar velar glottal and palatal) and five manners of articulation (plosive fricative affricate nasal and approximants). These confirm Williamson and Blench‘s (2000) classification of Ìdɔmà as a member of West Benue Congo family becauset he phonological features of the dialects conform to the typological characteristics of the phylum. Ìdɔmà basically has three-level register tone system...