Redundancy rules in Kiswahili

Abstract

This paper attempts to describe the sequence structure of vowel segments in Kiswahili. It proposes to establish a distinction between two main types of redundancy rules and their implications for the study of Kiswahili phonology. The paper argues against the application of the concept of long and short vowels to the analysis of Kiswahili. An argument is also advanced for the importance of recognizing two types of epenthesis in Kiswahili: InterLanguage and Intra-Language epenthesis. This analysis is carried out within the framework of Generative Phonology as proposed by Chomsky & Halle (1968).