Southeast Asian tone in areal perspective

James Kirby; Marc Brunelle

doi:10.1017/9781107279872.027

Southeast Asian tone in areal perspective

James Kirby, Marc Brunelle

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

In this chapter, we address the role of contact in the evolution of tone in mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA). We present an overview of the phonetic, phonological, and genetic characteristics of MSEA tone systems, emphasizing the rich variability of tonal realization found in the region. Next, we discuss the ways in which languages can become tonal, reviewing evidence for the spread of tone through contact as well as for the idea that much of the observed tonality on the ground in modern MSEA might be traced to a small number of ‘tonogenetic events’ rather than a large number of borrowings. In light of this discussion, we consider whether a re-evaluation of the notion of tone as a canonical indicator of ‘linguistic area’ more generally is warranted.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics
Editors	Raymond Hickey
Place of Publication	Cambridge
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Chapter	26
Pages	703-731
Number of pages	29
ISBN (Electronic)	9781107279872
ISBN (Print)	9781107051614
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107279872.027
Publication status	Published - Apr 2017

Publication series

Name	Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics
Publisher	Cambridge University Press

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10.1017/9781107279872.027

KirbyBrunelleCHAL2017SoutheastAsianToneInRealPerspective
This material has been published in The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics edited by Raymond Hickey. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press.
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Southeast Asian tone in areal perspective

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Tone and phonation in Southeast Asian languages

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