A Preliminary Phonological Analysis of Lowa (loy)

This thesis is a preliminary description of the phonetics and phonology of Lowa (loy), a Tibeto-Burman language of the Bodish branch spoken in the Upper Mustang district of Nepal. Drawing on a data corpus of approximately 1200 words elicited from two mother tongue language informants, this phonological sketch introduces many of the basic features of Lowa, including its phonemes and several major phonological processes. After introducing the language, its people, and the methodology, consonants and vowels are discussed with regard to their phonemic contrasts, phonotactic constraints, and related phonological processes. Then follows a discussion of register with specific attention paid to pitch contrasts. The conclusion notes some concerns regarding the present-day orthography in light of the previous findings, touching on the long-term impact of this research.