root: bomb

root_gloss_1: work

root_gloss_2: get wet

frame: infinitive

surface: ukubomba

english: to work the jobs

full_sentence: Ukubomba incito.

tones: L L L L

root_tone: L

english: to get wet from the rain

full_sentence: Ukubomba ne mfula.

note: Segmentally identical in flat text. Tonal distinction present in speech: root -bomb- carries L for 'work' but H realization in certain tense contexts for 'get wet'. Minimal pair demonstrates flat text problem.


surface: nimbomba

english: I have worked

full_sentence: Nimbomba.

tones: H H L L

english: I am wet

tones: H L H L

root_tone: H

note: Written identically. In speech, 'I have worked' has spreading from SM giving HH-LL; 'I am wet' has H on root giving HL-HL. Only tone distinguishes meaning.


surface: ndebomba

english: I'm working

full_sentence: Ndebomba.

english: I'm getting wet

note: Flat text identical. Tonal contrast on root distinguishes 'working' from 'getting wet' in progressive aspect.


surface: nshabombe

english: I will not work

full_sentence: Nshabombe.

english: I will not get wet

note: Future negative forms segmentally identical. Tone on root is the sole disambiguator between 'not work' and 'not get wet'.


surface: nshibomba

english: I am not working

full_sentence: Nshibomba.

english: I am not getting wet

note: Negative progressive pair. Segmentally identical; tonal pattern on root syllable carries the entire semantic distinction.


root_gloss: work

surface: balebomba

english: they are working

full_sentence: Balebomba.

english: are they working?

full_sentence: Balebomba?

tones: H H L H

note: Same morphological form. Declarative has falling boundary tone; interrogative has rising boundary tone on final syllable. Flat text uses punctuation but models often miss prosodic realization.


root: temw

root_gloss: love

surface: baletemwena

english: they love each other

full_sentence: Baletemwena.

tones: H H H L L

english: do they love each other?

full_sentence: Baletemwena?

tones: H H H L H

note: H-toned root -temw- triggers different spreading pattern than L-toned roots. Question form raises final boundary tone.


root: fwai

root_gloss: want

surface: nalefwaya

english: I want

full_sentence: Nalefwaya.

english: do I want?

full_sentence: Nalefwaya?

note: Declarative vs interrogative contrast on same verb form. Final boundary tone is the disambiguator.