It has been assumed that tonal alignment is not contrastive in contour tones (e.g. Hyman 1988, Odden
This study investigates a contrast in tonal alignment that involves falling contours in Dinka. This
Hausa and Yorùbá languages shared two-level tones: high (ʹ) and low ( ̀ ), while a mid (-) and risin
Prosodic features of speech (e.g., intonation and rhythm) are often challenging for adults to learn.