Against a Cr-Cluster in Ibibio

Abstract

Essien (1982, 1990) and others (cf, Urua, 2000; Noah, 1996, for instance) have made a case for a null consonant clustering in Ibibio; even though, Urua (2000) has also analysed the /dw/ as a CC, paradoxically. In this paper, we attempt to illustrate that intra-syllable consonant cluster, whether of the CC or Cr type, is phonotactically impossible, unrealistic, based on additional evidence and cross linguistic data1. We claim that among the different possible phonetic representations for the syllable structure, a basic canonical structure CV or CV (V) (C) can be motivated phonologically for all syllable patterns in Ibibio². Among other evidence, this paper draws on syllable pattern, reduplication, tone pattern, segment deletion and phonotactic pattern in loans and pattern congruity³.

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 8(3), 70-78, 2011