A Structgenautcy Analysis of Ukwuani consonants

This paper examines the consonants of Ukwuani, an Igboid language spoken in the southern part of Delta State. It contends that some sounds may be distinctive causing meaningful changes while others may just signal changes due to certain environmental conditions. To this end, it investigates the phonetic and phonemic consonant sounds of the language with a view to identifying the distinctive consonants using the structgenautcy phonological approach. The consonants are presented using articulatory and auditory parameters. The principles of contrast, variation and distribution are employed in identifying the distinctive and nondistinctive consonants of the language. Thirty phonetic consonants were identified in Ukwuani based on articulatory and auditory parameters, while twenty- four phonemic consonants were identified through a minimal pair test that shows contrast. Complex phonemes such as: the labialised consonants and labia-elar sounds contrast minimally with the univalent segments hence they are not cases of consonant clusters as posited by (Williamsom, 1963). This finding is in line with Okumo (2013, 2018).