Intonation in African Tone Languages

Phonology and Phonetics have had a tumultuous, if not always unequivocal, relationship in the past. This relationship between natural partners is now being invigorated from both sides and novel research techniques and methodologies are fostering new interdisciplinary questions. Consequently, a major issue today is whether it is necessary to draw a line between phonology and phonetics at all. This series aims to stabilize and strengthen the rapport and, by facing the big challenges, to ensure that phonetically grounded phonology and phonologically informed phonetics will have a sound future.

The series is intended as a forum for the interaction of phonology and phonetics within linguistics. It welcomes joint phonological-phonetic ventures as well as initiatives from either discipline, as long as they are made with a view of the other.

To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Natalie Fecher.

This volume brings together two under-investigated areas of intonation typology. While tone languages make up to 70 percent of the world's languages, only few have been explored for intonation. And even though one third of the world's languages are spoken in Africa, and most sub-Saharan languages are tone languages, recent collections on tone and intonation typology have almost entirely ignored African languages. This book aims to fill this gap.