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ROA:54
Title:Prosodic Phonotactics
Authors:Tim Sherer
Comment:5/94, sherer.exe is a self-extracting archive
Length:
Abstract: Prosodic Phonotactics

ROA-54

shererN.wp6, for N=0...6; sherer.exe

Tim D. Sherer



(UMass dissertation, May 1994)

Filenames.

sherer0.wp6 Front matter. 20 pp.

sherer1.wp6 Chapter 1. Introduction. 23pp.

sherer2.wp6 Chapter 2. Factorial Typology. 68 pp.

sherer3.wp6 Chapter 3 Finnish Hypercharacterized syllables. 31 pp.

sherer4.wp6 Chapter 4. Hypercharacterization in Fula and Koya. 32pp.

sherer5.wp6 Chapter 5. Appendix Consonants. 18 pp.

sherer6.wp6 Chapter 6. Outstanding problems and other approaches. 14 pp.

Also:

sherer.exe Self-extracting archive file that generates the above.

::Abstracts of the Chapters::

::::::::::::

Front Matter.

Acknowledgements, abstract, contents; the appendix and sources.

:::::::::

Chapter 1. Introduction.

The first chapter summarizes the goals of the dissertation and

introduces most of the constraints used later in the work. The main

goal of this work is to characterize sequences of consonants by

characterizing codas in the most general way possible. Since this one

of the earlier works employing Prince and Smolensky s 1993 Optimality

manuscript, I include an introduction to the theory in this chapter.

:::::::::

Chapter 2. Factorial Typology.

The second chapter includes a factorial typology involving

several of the constraints introduced in chapter 1. This typology

builds on Prince and Smolensky's factorial typology by employing a

more detailed syllable structure. Also, there are analyses of facts

from the languages Wiyot and Italian. The constraint *LONG-VOWEL is

introduced in this chapter (and plays a role in chapter 4) Another

question dealt with here is the content of underlying form--in

particular, the result of specifying a weight by position mora in the

lexicon. I also discuss the role of lexical levels in OT.

:::::::::

Chapter 3. Finnish Hypercharacterized syllables.

The third chapter deals with intervocalic consonant sequences of

Finnish. A search of a machine readable dictionary revealed a coronal

asymmetry in Finnish. Essentially, in Finnish a hypercharacterized

syllable may be closed by a geminate or by a coronal consonant, but

not by a non-coronal, non-geminate. An Optimality Theoretic analysis

of this fact is offered. One aspect of this analysis is that no root

not meeting the coronal only requirement would be posited by a Finnish

language learner (Stampean Occultation).

:::::::::

Chapter 4. Hypercharacterization in Fula and Koya.

The fourth chapter includes analyses of two languages, Fula and

Koya, both of which permit long vowels before sequences of consonants,

but not before geminates. This is analyzed by means of a syllable

appendix--a consonant directly adjoined to the syllable node without

an intervening mora. This version of an appendix consonant differs

from the word-final version. Both Fula and Koya have cases where we

might expect long vowels to precede geminates. In Fula, these cases

surface with a simple consonant (corresponding to the geminate), while

in Koya, these forms surface with a short vowel. Optimality Theoretic

analyses for these mappings are given.

:::::::::

Chapter 5. Appendix Consonants.



The fifth chapter focuses on the topic of syllable appendixes and

appendixal consonants. The main part of the chapter is a discussion

of several (closely related) Australian languages and why they should

be analyzed employing appendix consonants. I provide a sketchy

Optimality Theoretic analysis. The balance of the chapter is devoted

to questions about the appendix position. The idea of analyzing

appendixes by means of Alignment is discussed, including how this

could derive different sites for adjunction (word, syllable, and so

forth.) The nature of the coronal asymmetry is discussed and a

phonetic scale is offered as a possible explanation.

:::::::::

Chapter 6. Outstanding problems and other approaches.

The sixth chapter deals with topics not dealt with earlier in the

dissertation, including a comparison between the Optimality Theoretic

approach and an approach where constraints are set to on or off. Also

discussed is the Linked Gemination approach to the representation of

geminates, which is at odds with the moraic theory of geminates.

Another matter covered was the role of linking, both in connection

with Linked Gemination and the Coda Condition Approach, including

discussion of an approach to hypercharacterization that employs coda

conditions.

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Type:Dissertation
Area/Keywords:
Article:Version 1