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    Acoustic Analysis of EkeGusii Vowel System
    (The Learned Press, 2019) Peter Nyansera Otieno, Evans Gesura Mecha,
    This study describes the vowel system of EkeGusii (“Bantu E.42”)(Guthrie, 1948) in an acoustic phonetics perspective using oral data got from purposively sampled subjects: four adult males, four adult females and four children (two boys and two girls all 8 years old) equally from the two dialects of EkeGusii (EkeMaate and EkeRogoro Dialects). In order to capture the distribution characteristics of the vowel acoustic concentration, the group frequency means are normalized using Lobanov’s (1971) algorithm. Two view- points are the subjects of analysis in EkeGusii vowels: (a) acoustic vowel space as projected by the intersection of F2 vs. F1 or quadrilateral, and (b) spatial features of high, low, front and back. These qualities are mainly influenced by the physiology of speakers and social variability as occasioned by gender, age and dialect. The results indicate that children have no gender difference in formants, and have the highest frequencies for all formants, followed by adult females and then adult males. Furthermore, acoustic vowel space and spatial features are affected by gender, age, and dialect. A vowel pattern, replicated by all informants, is realized in the dispersion of the vowels within the chart influenced by gender and age. This study found out that EkeGusii seems to adopt a seven-vowel system of /i e ɛ a ɔ o u/ with a length contrast.
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    Analysis of Second and Third Formant Locus Pattern and C-V Coarticulation in EkeGusii
    (Researchgate, 2022-01) Peter Nyansera Otieno, Evans Gesura Mecha,
    This study analyses locus equations and regression lines relating to second and third formants as a measure of co-articulatory influence of vowels following stop consonants in EkeGusii. Coarticulation can be represented statistically using a schematic representation of locus equations by tracking consonant-vowel (CV) transition as a useful tool in the discrimination of place of articulation. Acoustic data was collected using Praat version 6.0 from four males and four females, native speakers of EkeGusii. Locus equations for the eight speakers were derived from CV words with intervocalic voiceless bilabial /p/, voiceless alveolar /t/ and voiceless velar /k/ preceding vowel /i/, /a/ and /o/ contexts. Scatter plots of locus equation of F2 and F3 onsets-F2 and F3 midpoints revealed patterns for each of the three voiceless stops in EkeGusii. The strongest degree of coarticulation is reported for velars then bilabials and the least degree of coarticulation with alveolars.
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    Ekegusii
    (Minority-Minoritized Languages and Cultures Project. NEH Distinguished Professor. TXST University., 2022) OTIENO Peter Nyansera
    Ekegusii is a Bantu language spoken by the Abagusii (translated as people of Gusii) who reside in Kisii and Nyamira counties (see e.g. Nash, 2011; Omoke 2012; Basweti et. al. 2015). According to the 2019 National Census, Ekegusii has an estimated number of native speakers totaling 2.7 million. The Abagusii are believed to have migrated from the Congo forest through Uganda entering Kenya through the Western part of the country. In Gusii folklore, their people’s origin is from a place called ‘Misiri,’ Egypt. The Abagusii community is bordered to the East by the Kipsigis, to the West by the Luo, and to the South by the Maasai, all of whom are Nilotic speakers. They do not neighbour any Bantu speakers. Guthrie, (1971) in his zonal classification of languages classifies Ekegusii as a central Bantu language part of the sub-family of the Kuria language labeled E. 42 (Maho, 2003). He relates it to other languages including Lulogooli, Ameru (Kenya) Kuria (Kenya and Tanzania) Ware, Ikizu, Ikoma, and Sanjo (Tanzania). Just like the majority of Bantu languages, Ekegusii is a tone language. The following map situates Kisii and Nyamira counties of Kenya, where Ekegusii is predomintly spoken.