Editing Chain shift (section)

==Synchronic shifts==

It is also possible for chain shifts to occur synchronically, within the [[phonology]] of a language as it exists at a single point in time.<ref name="Kirchner">Kirchner, Robert. (1996). Synchronic chain shifts in Optimality Theory. ''Linguistic Inquiry'', ''27'', 341-350.</ref>

[[Nzebi language|Nzebi]] (or Njebi), a [[Bantu languages|Bantu language]] of [[Gabon]], has the following chain shift, triggered morphophonologically by certain tense/aspect suffixes:

{|
| {{IPA|a}} || → || {{IPA|ɛ}} || → || {{IPA|e}} || → || {{IPA|i}}
|-
|             ||     ||              ||     || {{IPA|ə}} || → || {{IPA|i}}
|-
|             ||     || {{IPA|ɔ}} || → || {{IPA|o}} || → || {{IPA|u}}
|}

Examples follow:<ref>Guthrie, Malcolm. (1968). Notes on Nzebi (Gabon). ''Journal of African Languages'', ''7'',101-129.</ref>

:{|
! Underlying form !! Chain-shifted form
|-
| {{IPA|sal}} "to work" || {{IPA|sal-i}} → {{IPA|sɛli}}
|-
| {{IPA|βɛɛd}} "to give" || {{IPA|βɛɛd-i}} → {{IPA|βeedi}}
|-
| {{IPA|bet}} "to carry" || {{IPA|bet-i}} → {{IPA|biti}}
|-
| {{IPA|bis}} "to refuse" || {{IPA|bis-i}} → {{IPA|bisi}}
|-
| {{IPA|kolən}} "to go down" || {{IPA|kolən-i}} → {{IPA|kulini}}
|-
| {{IPA|tɔɔd}} "to arrive" || {{IPA|tɔɔd-i}} → {{IPA|toodi}}
|-
| {{IPA|suɛm}} "to hide oneself" || {{IPA|suɛm-i}} → {{IPA|suemi}}
|}

Another example of a chain from Bedouin Hijazi Arabic involves vowel raising and deletion:<ref name="Kirchner" />

{|
| {{IPA|a}} || → || {{IPA|i}} || → || ''deletion''
|}

In nonfinal open syllables, {{IPA|/a/}} raises to {{IPA|/i/}} while {{IPA|/i/}} in the same position is deleted.

Synchronic chain shifts may be circular. An example of this is [[Amoy dialect|Xiamen tone]] or [[Taiwanese Hokkien|Taiwanese tone]] [[sandhi]]:<ref name="Kirchner" />{{rp|fn 348}}{{better source|date=February 2017|reason=This is just a passing mention in a footnote.}}

{|
| 53 || → || 44 || → || 22 || → || 21 || → || 53
|}

The contour tones are lowered to a lower tone, and the lowest tone (21) circles back to the highest tone (53).

Synchronic chain shifts are an example of the theoretical problem of [[phonological opacity]]. Although easily accounted for in a derivational rule-based phonology, its analysis in standard parallel [[Optimality Theory]] is problematic.<ref name="Kirchner" />