Nasalisation and Nasal Assimilation in Akan

This paper discusses nasalisation and nasal assimilation in Akan, a Kwa (NigerCongo) language. The paper demonstrates that nasalisation and nasal assimilation in Akan can be local, homorganic (partial), or total. The underlying voiced alveolar nasal /n/ surfaces with the initial consonant of the following stem to be realised as a homorganic or nasal sound. The paper shows that among the three major dialects of Akan (Fante, Asante, and Akuapem), Fante exhibits only place (homorganic) assimilation, while Asante and Akuapem demonstrate both places (homorganic) and manner assimilation. Moreover, the paper establishes that nasalisation and nasal assimilation in Akan is adjacent, partial, complete (total), bidirectional, and either regressive or reciprocal. Nasalisation and nasal assimilation in Akan occur mainly in the domains of stems, compound words, plural formation, negation, imperative, and reduplicative constructions. This paper therefore contributes to the typology of consonant-consonant (C-C) assimilations that occur in Akan: nasal place assimilation and consonant nasalisation. We formalise our discussions within the theoretical framework of Feature Geometry (FG) Phonology