Tone on a Nasal Syllable
ń carries high tone without a written vowel.
How It Works
Both m and n can have syllabic uses. A syllabic nasal carries its own tonal beat. Preserve it rather than skipping it or supplying an invented vowel in writing.
The separate word ń precedes a verb and marks an ongoing or imperfective situation. In Adé ń ta aṣọ, it stands between the subject and “sell.” In ńlá, “large,” the initial nasal belongs inside the word; it is not the separate aspect marker.
Compare ìbọn, “gun”: final n indicates vowel nasalization rather than an extra high-tone syllable. Position, spelling and grammatical context therefore matter together. A written nasal does not automatically have the grammatical function or tone of the aspect word ń.
Examples (3)
- Adé ń ta aṣọ.
Adé is selling clothing.
Separate ń is a high-tone syllabic aspect marker.
- Bísí ń gbé àpò.
Bísí is carrying a bag.
The nasal remains a separate word before gbé.
- Ilé ńlá.
A large house.
Noun-phrase fragment with a syllabic nasal inside ńlá.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A nasal syllable can carry its own tone.
Related Patterns
Practice Tone on a Nasal Syllable in Bubblegum
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