Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Sound System of Wariho-Makurawe [ISO 639-3 var]

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Warihó and Makurawe are two dialects of an endangered Uto-Aztecan language spoken in the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. Previous work by other researchers has made clear that the dialects differ in the structure of their sound systems, but, the descriptions are conflicting and inconclusive. In this doctoral dissertation project, co-PI Ana A. Medina Murillo of the University of New Mexico will undertake a fieldwork-based study of the sound system so that basic documentation of the sound inventories will be available as a starting point. Ms. Medina-Murillo will travel to the communities where these dialects are spoken, and record word lists, phrases and short narratives from 12 speakers of each dialect. The recordings will be analyzed acoustically with the initial aim of documenting the sounds in each dialect and their distribution. Warihó-Makurawe appears to be highly unusual in the way its sounds are distributed. It is thought to be a universal that syllables which are prominent (that is, they attract stress) support more contrasts than do weak syllables. In these languages, by contrast, glottal stop segment and [h] appear to be restricted to word-initial syllables; these syllables, however, are never stressed. If this is indeed the case, it would represent a clear contradiction to the well-established pattern. Accounting for the language's stress patterns is a necessary part of this investigation, and these will be analyzed in part by reference to its complex array of reduplicated forms. The stress patterns are difficult to analyze in part because the acoustic correlates of stress are not obvious from preliminary work with recordings of two speakers, or from reports by previous investigators. Identifying how speakers signal that a syllable is stressed is one of the key steps to accounting for the structure of the sound system of this language. Although both the Warihó and Makurawe dialects have been previously studied by professional linguists, little attention has been given to the patterns of sounds in the language, and the acoustic properties of the sounds have never been documented. One of the main reasons that speakers of the language need accurate information about their language's sounds is to develop an efficient writing system for the communities that still use the language. Similarly, the present absence of a satisfactory analysis of the sound patterns means that the basis for comparison between Warihó-Makurawe and related languages such as Yaqui, Mayo and Tarahumara is inadequate. Comparative language studies allow researchers to refine theories about language change and shed light on our understanding of the past interactions and movements of the communities concerned. This can be particularly important where written historical records are sparse, as is the case in this area. As with many indigenous languages, the survival of the Warihó-Makurawe language is threatened by pressure to use a national language, in this case, Spanish. At present there are still viable communities of speakers, making it feasible to document spoken usage by multiple members of the community. However, the long-term viability of the language is doubtful, so it will only be possible to record the information will only be available now.