object, combined with the verb root itself. Tonal system Tonga is a tonal language, with high and low-toned syllables. The placement of the tones is complex and differs from that of other Bantu languages; for example, a syllable which is low in Tonga may be high in the cognate word in other Bantu languages and vice versa. Several scholars, beginning with A. E. Meeussen in 1963, have tried to discover the rules for where to place the tones. One feature of the tonal system is that high tones tend to get disassociated from their original place and move to the left, as is illustrated in these examples: íbúsi 'smoke' ibusu 'flour' In these words, the original high tone of the root -sí has moved to the prefix ibu-, whereas the low tone of -su has not affected the prefix. The above example of a noun is relatively easy to explain. However, the tones of the verbal system are more complex. An example of one of the puzzles discussed by both Meeussen and Goldsmith can be seen below: ndi-la-lang-a 'I look at' ba-la-lang-a 'they look at' ndi-la-bon-a 'I see' ba-lá-bon-a 'they see' The high tone on the tense-marker la in the fourth verb is puzzling. If it comes from the verb root bon, it is hard to see why it does not also appear in the 1st person ndi-la-bon-a. Some scholars, such as Carter and Goldsmith, have analysed Tonga as having both tones and accents (the accents in Tonga being mainly on low-toned syllables). Others, such as Pulleyblank, analyse the same data purely in terms of tonal rules, without the need to introduce accents. References External links Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Chitonga Glossary of Chitonga, in English and German Chitonga Glossary OLAC resources in and about the Tonga language OLAC resources in and about the Dombe language Chitonga language books, Lubuto Library Special Collections Botatwe languages Languages of Mozambique Languages of Zambia Languages of Zimbabwe Library of Congress Africa Collection related Tonal languages Tone (linguistics)