Tonalsprägungen

Tonalsprägungen refers to the phenomenon in linguistics where the tonal system of one language influences or alters the tonal system of another language. This is most commonly observed in situations of language contact, such as bilingualism or the formation of creole languages.

When speakers of a tonal language come into contact with a non-tonal language, or vice versa, the tonal features of their native language can be mapped onto the phonological or even morphological system of the other language. This can result in the development of new tonal contrasts or the reinterpretation of existing phonological features as tonal in the borrowing language. For example, stress patterns in a non-tonal language might be reanalyzed as pitch contours in a language that is undergoing tonal acquisition.

Conversely, if speakers of a non-tonal language acquire a tonal language, they may fail to perceive or produce the tonal distinctions, leading to a reduction or simplification of the target language's tonal system in the speech of learners. In creole languages, which often arise from language contact, tonalsprägungen can play a significant role in the development of their phonological structure, with elements from both the lexifier and substrate languages potentially contributing to the final tonal system. The specific nature and extent of tonalsprägungen depend on various factors, including the duration and intensity of contact, the age of acquisition of the languages, and the typological similarity of the languages involved.