The Monophthongization of /ai/ and /oi/ in Kom: An Autosegmental Perspective

A great deal of scholarship has gone into examining monophthongization as a phonological phenomenon occurring within the different chronological stages languages. Some studies have examined it sociolinguistic index dialectal variation while some others studied purely idiosyncratic matter same language variety. Almost all these been descriptive in nature. This study used derivational phonology approach to analyze synchronic Kom framework Autosegmental Phonology. Derivations were constructed mapping underlying diphthongal forms their surface monophthongal realizations. The results show that natural spontaneous speech, diphthongs /ai/ and /Oi/ lose gliding part become monophthongs when they occur syllable shares boundary right with vowel-initial word. vowel loss is followed by compensatory lengthening new monophthongized vowel.