Tone system complexity

In the "Tonecat" field the complexity of the tone system is expressed by use of one of four category labels: None, Simple, Moderately Complex, Complex. Languages with a basic two-way contrast (which may include a limited use of downstep) are classed as having a Simple tone system, those with three contrasts are Moderately Complex. Complex tone systems have four or more contrasting tones. A few languages are noted as having a Marginal tone system. These cases are of two types: languages where tone distinctions are said to be relevant to only a small part of the lexicon, and those where the tone distinctions might be subsumed under an accentual contrast.

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