Reduplication and Tone Realisation in the Nambya Language of Hwange District in Matabeleland North Province in Zimbabwe

This paper presents the perspective on how reduplication influences tone realisation in the Nambya language. Despite reduplication being common in Bantu, tone-reduplication interaction in Nambya remains understudied. Reduplication interacts with verbal tone patterns in diverse ways in Nambya. The two halves of the reduplicated verb in Nambya are tonally identical to each other and to the non-reduplicated verb. A pattern is found where the two halves of the reduplicated toneless verbs (L.L and in L.H) of the same length have the same tone pattern. In verb stems with HH- there is a deletion of the H on the first syllable of the RED to observe OCP, resulting in an H.L.H. melody. A systematic identification and description of how tense, aspect, mood, and reduplication influence tone, using a descriptive framework, was employed. Expert and homogeneous purposive sampling techniques were applied to select participants, and the sample size was ten. Data was generated through semi structured interviews and focused group discussions. Findings indicate that reduplication in Nambya does not merely replicate segmental material but also induces tonal adjustments, resulting in altered tonal patterns in the reduplicated forms. These observations contribute to a deeper understanding of the interface between reduplication, phonology and tone in Bantu languages.