Vowel Phenomena of Guang Languages

The Guang language family of Ghana has received a fair amount of study over the past several decades. Snider’s (1990b) work is the most extensive study on Guang phonology. The aim of this thesis will be to cite new information and build upon Snider’s work to gain a better understanding of Guang phonology, specifically in relation to vowel systems and phenomena. Some of the most prominent phonological processes in Guang involving vowels include ATR and rounding harmony, and hiatus resolution. This study examines the consistencies and differences among Guang languages with regard to vowel phenomena. While some interesting variation does exist across the Guang language family, examination of available resources and data, along with some acoustic analysis, show that Guang vowel phenomena are generally consistent. The most important aspect that is consistent across Guang languages, despite differing analyses and descriptions, is that all exhibit nine-vowel systems.