*
*Page 13: Mon Aug 6 16:00:44 2018
 levels, shown by dots in a descending scale: [ ˥ ] high tone, [ ˦ ], [ ˧ ], [ ˨ ]
*1st, 2nd and 3rd mid tones, [ ˩ ] low tone.
*  1. High Tone. An essential high tone is not always on the highest
*possible level in connected speech. When it occurs after a low tone, it
*is usually lower than a previous high tone in the same sentence. This
*may be shown graphically thus [ ˥ ˩ ˦ ] . After another low tone, a further
*lowering takes place [ ˥ ˩ ˦ ˩ ˧ ], and so on. These lowered variants of the
*“high” tone are not indicated in this book as they are brought about
*by assimilation to the preceding low tone, and therefore have no
*semantic or grammatical function of their own which would make it
*essential to distinguish them from other high tones. They will accordingly
*be represented thus [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ].
*  2. Low Tone. A low tone is frequently raised before a high tone and
*between high tones. This may be shown graphically thus [ ˨ ˥ ], and
*combined with the phenomenon of the “lowered” high tone explained
*in the previous paragraph, thus [ ˧ ˥ ˨ ˦ ˩ ˧ ]. Such variants are also the
*result of assimilation and will therefore not be shown here.
*  The simplification of tone marking brought about in this way leaves
*the signs for the mid tones free to mark only those tonal phenomena
*that have definite grammatical or syntactic functions.
*  In a final position, and in very slow speech also in the middle of a
*sentence, the low tone is generally not level but falling. The fall starts
*below the level of the preceding tone, i.e. after a high tone, it starts at
*a mid-level; after a mid tone, at a lower mid tone. There are, how-
*ever, certain cases in which the low tone is level, and occasionly the
*only distinction between two grammatical forms is made by the occur-
*rence of either the falling or the level variant of a low tone. The rules
*for the appearance of these variants could, however, clearly be ascertained
*with one informant only (S. Obayuwana), and at a time when a general
*notation of the phenomenon in this book was no longer possible (but
*v. the notes under the headings sikã [ ˩ ˥ ], xa 1 [ / ] and zɛ 1 [˥]). It
*seems to be most frequent in the case of second or third members of
*verbal combinations occurring after a high tone: then, the falling low
*tone is used in the ipf. and the level variant in the pf. The author
*intends to deal with this question more fully in a grammar of this
*language which he hopes to publish at some later period.
*  3. Mid Tones. Three levels of mid tones occur: [ ˦ ˧ ˨ ]; the 1st
*following on a high tone, the 2nd following on the 1st mid, and the
*3rd on the 2nd mid tone. High tones following any of these mid tones
*are assimilated to them. The interval between high and mid and
*between two mid tones is not sufficiently wide to produce the impression
*of a high-low interval: it may vary between one and three tones. In
*a very few cases it has been necessary to mark mid tone after a low
*tone.
*xiii