Aspects Of Gua (Gwa) Phonology

ABSTRACT

In this thesis, I discuss the sound system, tonal patterns and some phonological processes of Gua (Gwa). As a „Hill Guan‟ language, Gua belongs to the Guan language group under Central Comoe sub-family of the Kwa language family. It is spoken typically by the people of Anu-(m) and Boso, which form the two dialects of the language. It is located in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The thesis relied on data from the Boso dialect of Gua for its description. Using primary sources of data such as wordlist elicitation, unstructured interviews and focus group discussions, the thesis adopts Dixon‟s (1997, 2010a, 2010b and 2012) Basic Linguistic Theory to describe the phonology of Gua. The thesis claims that Gua has ten (10) vowels with thirty-two (32) consonants (both plain and labialised). The study maintains that Gua has five (5) syllable types which include CV, V, C, VC and CVC. The thesis maintains vowel deletion, epenthesis, aspiration, palatalisation, homorganic nasal assimilation and nasalisation are phonological processes in Gua. Others are labialisation, labial-palatalisation and vowel mutation. The thesis claims that, Gua has low and high basic tones. It shows that verbs and adjectives have clarity in tonal patterns but in nouns it‟s only the monosyllabic ones. Grammatically, Gua uses tone to distinguish between present and past tense on one hand and habitual, progressive and perfective aspects on the other. Finally, the thesis indicates that downstep, downdrift, tone polarity, tone deletion and dissimilation are tone processes in Gua.