Tonal Upstep in Krachi: Evidence for a Register Tier

While descriptions and analyses of tonal downstep abound, considerably less attention has been devoted to cases involving tonal upstep. This is no doubt due to the relative scarcity of languages that exhibit upstep. The present study examines certain tonal phenomena in Krachi, a language with two phonologically contrastive pitch levels. I argue that the Krachi data are best analyzed as involving an upward shifting of the tonal register (upstep). I then argue that upstep in Krachi provides evidence for the inclusion of a register tier in tonal theory.