Vowel lengthening in Anaañ

This article investigates vowel lengthening processes in the Anaañ language spoken in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The study explores the possible phonological environments that permit vowel lengthening in Anaañ; examines the functions of lengthening and also probes the differences between length and lengthening in the Anaan̄ word structure. The autosegmental framework which was proposed Goldsmith (1976, 1990), provides the theoretical context for the study. Data for the study were sourced from personal interaction between the researcher and some participants coupled with the researcher introspection. The study discovers that vowel lengthening is a common phenomenon in Anaañ and is basically used for emphasis, and plurality including, lexical and grammatical contrasts.