Tone in Noun Forms

Level 4

A long vowel contributes two vowel positions. In this source’s notation, first-position high tone gives a falling contour; second-position high tone gives a rising contour.

How It Works

The dominant pattern places masculine high tone on the penultimate vowel position and feminine high tone on the final position. Count vowel positions rather than syllables: aa contributes two. Exceptions include particular human nouns, borrowings, many women’s names, and certain numerals. One short vowel cannot reveal gender through this contrast.

Singular -e/-o/-a nouns have a separate isolation-versus-phrase pattern. Final bare nouns in unfocused subject phrases normally lose high tone; modifiers and optional continuation tone have additional patterns.

The accented fragments below use pronunciation teaching notation. Ordinary text omits these accents. Older transcription conventions can give similar accent sequences different values, so the notation must be identified explicitly.

Examples (4)

  1. ínanka / inánta

    the boy / the girl

    Pronunciation-only definite fragments; ordinary spellings: inanka / inanta.

  2. béerka / beérta

    the liver / the field

    Pronunciation-only fragments distinguish the two positions within ee.

  3. baabúur / baabuúr

    a car / cars collectively

    Pronunciation-only bare fragments; both ordinarily have the spelling baabuur.

  4. Cumar wuu qoraa.

    Omar writes.

    The final bare unfocused subject normally lacks high tone.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Tone in Noun FormsLevel 4

Learn This First

Recognize noun-case roles and vowel length before considering nominal tone distinctions omitted by ordinary spelling.