Of the three regions that have merited their own chapters in this book, the Americas have the least studied tonal phonology, especially from a theoretical perspective. Since much of the apparatus of tonal theory was developed for African or Asian languages, it seemed advisable to begin with those, and then, with tools in hand, turn to this less-analysed region. I divide this chapter into three main sections. The first, and much the most detailed, looks at Central America, which is rich in tone languages, many of which are very well documented. The second deals with the rather scarce and sadly all too often dead or moribund tone languages of North America. The last deals with South America, about whose tonal systems relatively little is known.

Central America

Overview of families

Many of the languages of Central America are tonal, particularly the Otomanguean family, which includes Mixtec, Mazatec, Zapotec, Chinantec, Trique, and Chatino. Outside Otomanguean, we find occasional tone languages, including some Mayan languages such as Yucatec and Uspantec Mayan, and San Bartolo Tzotzil, some Tarascan languages such as Tlapanec and Cuitlatec, the San Mateo dialect of the language isolate Huave, and the Uto-Aztecan language N.Tepehuan. The tonal systems of neighbouring dialects can vary dramatically, so one does not talk of the tones of Mixtec, but of the tones of the specific dialect, such as Peñoles Mixtec, or San Miguel el Grande Mixtec.