Eva Zimmermann

An argument for sub-tonal features: Floating tones in two Otomanguean languages

Assuming that tones are not phonological primitives but have a complex internal featural structure predicts that the same surface tone can have different phonological representations in one language. I argue in this paper that this assumption of sub-tonal features allows a straightforward analysis for different patterns of apparently exceptional or asymmetric behaviour of floating tones. This paper hence argues for the importance of (abstract) underlying representations that allow purely phonological accounts of apparent lexical idiosyncrasies. In addition, it adds to the growing body of evidence for sub-tonal features.