Ling 403/603
Introduction to Phonology
DAY 14
CESAR KOIRALA
The basic concept…
Morphemes (stored in the lexicon/constant pronunciation)
Morphological rules (combine morphemes/rearrange the phonological environments
of the phonemes)
Phonological rules (generate the surface forms)
The basic concept…
Morphemes (stored in the lexicon/constant pronunciation)
Morphological rules (combine morphemes/rearrange the phonological environments
of the phonemes)
Phonological rules (generate the surface forms)
(The cases of English plural formation and Chimwiini illustrated that the order in which rules apply is
important)
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
Additional information:
There are no words that begin with a vowel on the surface.
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
Additional information:
There are no words that begin with a vowel on the surface.
In the case of Imperatives:
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
1
Bright 1957
Karok1
• We can see the importance of rule ordering in Karok.
• Vowel deletion creates a suitable environment for Palatalization
1
Bright 1957
Feeding
• We can see the importance of rule ordering in Karok.
• Vowel deletion creates a suitable environment for Palatalization
• We say that V deletion feeds Palatalization
Feeding
• We can see the importance of rule ordering in Karok.
• Vowel deletion creates a suitable environment for Palatalization
• We say that V deletion feeds Palatalization
English Plural morphemes
English Plural morphemes
English Plural morphemes
Provide derivation for faces.
English Plural morphemes
English Plural morphemes
•The application of Epenthesis destroys the environment in which
Assimilation could apply.
English Plural morphemes
•The application of Epenthesis destroys the environment in which
Assimilation could apply.
•We say that Epenthesis bleeds Assimilation.
Bleeding
Conclusion…ordering of the rules matter!
Rule Orderings
 The patterns describable with feeding and bleeding rule interactions
are called ‘transparent’.
 A rule is transparent if its effects are obvious from the phonetic form.
Rule Orderings
 The patterns describable with feeding and bleeding rule interactions
are called ‘transparent’.
 A rule is transparent if its effects are obvious from the phonetic form.
 For e.g., it is evident in the surface form [glasiz] that it satisfies both the
rules we described for English plural morphemes.
Rule Orderings
 The patterns describable with feeding and bleeding rule interactions
are called ‘transparent’.
 A rule is transparent if its effects are obvious from the phonetic form.
 For e.g., it is evident in the surface form [glasiz] that it satisfies both the
rules we described for English plural morphemes.
 There are other rule interactions in which the effect of the rules is not
obvious from the surface form. We call them ‘opaque’.
Morphophonemic Analysis
 The purpose of Morphophonemic Analysis is to discover a set of
underlying forms and ordered rules that is consistent with the data.
Morphophonemic Analysis
 The purpose of Morphophonemic Analysis is to discover a set of
underlying forms and ordered rules that is consistent with the data.
 Procedure of Morphophonemic Analysis:
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 This is crucial (and not always easy!)
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 This is crucial (and not always easy!)
 This , often, involves considering more than one hypothesis, with the
final choice defended by its leading to a working analysis.
For example: Chimwiini:
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 This is crucial (and not always easy!)
 This , often, involves considering more than one hypothesis, with the
final choice defended by its leading to a working analysis.
For example: Chimwiini:
Long vowels alternate
with short
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 This is crucial (and not always easy!)
 This , often, involves considering more than one hypothesis, with the
final choice defended by its leading to a working analysis.
For example: Chimwiini:
1.
2.
Long vowels alternate
with short
Hence, we have two hypothesis:
Underlyingly, the vowels are long. Later, shortening rules apply.
Underlyingly, the vowels are short. Later, lengethening rules apply.
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 For the segments that alternate, follow the hypothesis you made about
the underlying forms, implementing it consistently throughout the
data.
 Under hypothesis 1, the underlying representation is /so:m/ for the
root ‘read’ and /-o:w/ for the passive suffix.
Choosing the Underlying Representation
 For the segments that alternate, follow the hypothesis you made about
the underlying forms, implementing it consistently throughout the
data.
 Under hypothesis 1, the underlying representation is /so:m/ for the
root ‘read’ and /-o:w/ for the passive suffix.
 The segments that don’t alternate can be assumed to be phonemically
identical in their underlying representation to their surface
representation.
Choosing the Underlying Representation
A clue for Choosing the Underlying Representation
 Contextually limited contrast.
A clue for Choosing the Underlying Representation
 Contextually limited contrast.
 For example, though vowel length is contrastive in Chimwiini, only
short vowels are allowed when more than 3 syllables from the end of
the phrase.
A clue for Choosing the Underlying Representation
 Contextually limited contrast.
 For example, though vowel length is contrastive in Chimwiini, only
short vowels are allowed when more than 3 syllables from the end of
the phrase.
 This means the contrast is neutralized in that particular environment.
Hence, there must be a rule that wipes out the contrast in that
environment.
A clue for Choosing the Underlying Representation
 Contextually limited contrast.
 For example, though vowel length is contrastive in Chimwiini, only
short vowels are allowed when more than 3 syllables from the end of
the phrase.
 This means the contrast is neutralized in that particular environment.
Hence, there must be a rule that wipes out the contrast in that
environment.
 Don’t analyze in a direction opposite to that of a neutralization.
A clue for Choosing the Underlying Representation


If we analyze Chimwiini with ‘Shortening’, we analyze in the direction
of neutralization.
If we analyze Chimwiini with ‘lengthening’, we analyze in the
direction opposite to that of a neutralization.
Lardil
Lardil
 What are the suffixes for accusative non-future and accusative future?
Lardil
 What are the suffixes for accusative non-future and accusative future?
Lardil
Lardil
 What are the suffixes for accusative non-future and accusative future?
 What should be our two hypothesis about the underlying forms?
Hypothesis 1 - Deletion
Hypothesis 2 - Insertion
Hypothesis 2 - Insertion
Q. What determines the choice of vowel we insert?
Hypothesis 2 - Insertion
Q. What determines the choice of vowel we insert?
No principled basis. Hence, we choose hypothesis 1 over 2.
Hypothesis 2 - Insertion
Q. What determines the choice of vowel we insert?
No principled basis. Hence, we choose hypothesis 1 over 2.
 Moreover, since Lardil makes no contrast of vowel vs. consonant in the
position after a vowel (only consonants are allowed), deletion analysis, which
is based on this pattern, will work.
Conclusions
Today:
1.
We saw that rule ordering matters.
2.
We looked at transparent rule interactions (feeding and bleeding)
3.
We learned about the principled way of performing the
morphophonemic analysis.
Next class:
1.
We will continue the analysis of Lardil in order to get the better
understanding of morphophonemic analysis and rule interactions.
2.
We will learn about opaque rule interactions.