The Functions Of Olutura Sounds

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the sounds that occur in Olutura so as to develop a phonetic inventory and to show how these sounds function in this dialect. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify native Olutura speakers and to categorize the data into the required categories for analysis. The study identifies each vowel and consonant sound that occurs in Olutura and discusses their role in its phonology. Examples of words in which these sounds occur are given in order to show their functions in the overall phonology and phonotactics of Olutura. From the data analysis, Olutura has a 5V system and a total of 53 sounds. The discussion reveals that Olutura prenasalizes sounds which do not primarily occur in its phonetic inventory, an occurrence that results in sounds with secondary articulation.