Vowel Epenthesis in Sibe: A Perceptual Account

Phonological literature recognizes different functions of and motivations for vowel epenthesis, to satisfy the requirements of syllable structure vs. to enhance the perceptuality of consonants. In Sibe, epenthetic vowels appear between root-final consonants (C1) and suffix-initial consonants (C2). The presence vs. absence of the epenthetic vowel depends on the property of C1: an epenthetic vowel tends not to occur when C1 is a sonorant; an epenthetic vowel tends to occur when C1 is a stop or a non-sibilant ([-strident]) fricative; an epenthetic vowel also tends to occur when C1 is a sibilant fricative and C2 an obstruent. Such a distribution property poses challenge to a syllable-based account of vowel epenthesis and lends support to a perceptually based account.