Ghost Consonants and Lenition in Leggbo

Leggbo has two classes of consonants - fortis & lenis consonants. The fortis consonants are articulated with more force, & they occur in stronger contexts than the lenis consonants which are articulated with relatively less force & are therefore found in weak environments. Following the Phonological Strength Hierarchy (Katamba 1989), stops are the strongest sounds & approximants the weakest. In Leggbo, the process of change from stop articulation through frication to deletion has left ghosts consonants in the language. Such consonants which were originally stops are today fricatives, with an option of a complete drop. The traces of their original forms are evident in the progressive aspect which is marked by fortition & suffixation. 9 References. Adapted from the source document