ABSTRACT
Kinyarwanda is a tonal language with high and low tones. This, along with the influence of the French language, has determined factors in creating the accent's pitch-confined melodic patter. It has the ease and sometimes unexpected tumble of a gurgling brook. Both men and women begin with warm chest resonance. The sound comes up through a slightly narrowed pharynx, creating a pharyngeal twang. Because of the raised soft palate the sound travels quite fully into the mouth. The Path of Resonance as described above can be heard in all of the speakers even in Isaac, who has the weakest of the recorded accents. The women tend to speak in a higher pitch range than men. The focus of articulation is largely in the middle front of the mouth with the middle of the tongue very active in making vowels. The blade of the tongue is active towards the top front teeth and post alveolar ridge.
