Syllable frequencies in Manding: Examples from periodicals in Bamana and Maninka

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Syllable frequencies in Manding: Examples from periodicals in Bamana and Maninka. / Rovenchak, Andrij; Vydrin, Valentin .

In: Glottometrics, Vol. 48, 2020, p. 17-36.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

BibTeX

@article{ff94825268dd406b974aa4b21e8cd205,

title = "Syllable frequencies in Manding: Examples from periodicals in Bamana and Maninka",

abstract = "We study the rank–frequency distribution of syllables in texts from written press in Bamana and Guinean Maninka, two closely related languages from the Manding group of the Mande family in West Africa. Five issues of widely circulating newspapers are analyzed in each language. The Bamana texts are written in a Roman-based alphabet without marking of tones, while Maninka texts are published in the N{\textquoteright}ko alphabet comprising a superficial notation of tones. For the sake of comparisons, the Maninka data are also compiled for syllables with tonal distinctions тeglected. The obtained rank–frequency distributions of syllables are fitted using two discrete distributions, Jain–Poisson and positive negative binomial, as well as the continuous Yule distribution. In most cases, a satisfactory fit was achieved, with the determination coefficient R2 > 0.95 and discrepancy coefficient C < 0.02. The relation of the Yule distribution and Zipf{\textquoteright}s law with respect to the number of syllable types is discussed.",

keywords = "Syllables, Bamana, Mandinga",

author = "Andrij Rovenchak and Valentin Vydrin",

year = "2020",

language = "English",

volume = "48",

pages = "17--36",

journal = "Glottometrics",

issn = "1617-8351",

publisher = "RAM-Verlag",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Syllable frequencies in Manding: Examples from periodicals in Bamana and Maninka

AU - Rovenchak, Andrij

AU - Vydrin, Valentin

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - We study the rank–frequency distribution of syllables in texts from written press in Bamana and Guinean Maninka, two closely related languages from the Manding group of the Mande family in West Africa. Five issues of widely circulating newspapers are analyzed in each language. The Bamana texts are written in a Roman-based alphabet without marking of tones, while Maninka texts are published in the N’ko alphabet comprising a superficial notation of tones. For the sake of comparisons, the Maninka data are also compiled for syllables with tonal distinctions тeglected. The obtained rank–frequency distributions of syllables are fitted using two discrete distributions, Jain–Poisson and positive negative binomial, as well as the continuous Yule distribution. In most cases, a satisfactory fit was achieved, with the determination coefficient R2 > 0.95 and discrepancy coefficient C < 0.02. The relation of the Yule distribution and Zipf’s law with respect to the number of syllable types is discussed.

AB - We study the rank–frequency distribution of syllables in texts from written press in Bamana and Guinean Maninka, two closely related languages from the Manding group of the Mande family in West Africa. Five issues of widely circulating newspapers are analyzed in each language. The Bamana texts are written in a Roman-based alphabet without marking of tones, while Maninka texts are published in the N’ko alphabet comprising a superficial notation of tones. For the sake of comparisons, the Maninka data are also compiled for syllables with tonal distinctions тeglected. The obtained rank–frequency distributions of syllables are fitted using two discrete distributions, Jain–Poisson and positive negative binomial, as well as the continuous Yule distribution. In most cases, a satisfactory fit was achieved, with the determination coefficient R2 > 0.95 and discrepancy coefficient C < 0.02. The relation of the Yule distribution and Zipf’s law with respect to the number of syllable types is discussed.

KW - Syllables

KW - Bamana

KW - Mandinga

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077053203&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

VL - 48

SP - 17

EP - 36

JO - Glottometrics

JF - Glottometrics

SN - 1617-8351

ER -

ID: 70660375