Abstract
The thesis examines a wide range of phonological phenomena in Zhuokeji rGyalrong from a synchronic point of view. It is divided into six chapters.Chapter one offers brief accounts on the language under investigation, including the demographic distribution and its affiliation in Tibeto-Burman languages, etc. Then, the theoretical framework adopted in this thesis – Optimality Theory is introduced. In the chapter that follows, syllable structure is analyzed. I point out the contrast of moraic and non-moraic codas in this language for the first time. In addition, the avoidance of word-medial codas in syllabification is also evidenced. In chapter three, I delve into segmental phonology, including nasal assimilation, voicing assimilation, front vowel palatalization, and consonantal palatalization. Also, I explore the nature of two inflectional ending through processes like metathesis, deletion, and insertion triggered by either of them. Chapter four is concerning with tonology. The discussion starts in tone patterns in lexical words, and then extends to tone sandhi in compound words and affixation. Since fixed melody is the most distinctive trait, I propose that Zhuokeji rGyalrong is a word-tone language. In chapter five, various vocalic alternations are described and diagnosed, including vowel assimilation, vowel change in reduplication and ablaut. Chapter 6 concludes our study.