1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910452494003321

Autore

Barnes Jonathan <1970->

Titolo

Strength and weakness at the interface [[electronic resource] ] : positional neutralization in phonetics and phonology / / by Jonathan Barnes

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Berlin ; ; New York, : Mouton de Gruyter, c2006

ISBN

1-282-19398-8

9786612193989

3-11-019761-8

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (304 p.)

Collana

Phonology and phonetics ; ; 10

Disciplina

414

Soggetti

Grammar, Comparative and general - Phonology

Neutralization (Linguistics)

Phonetics

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [256]-284) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- Chapter 2 Stressed syllables and unstressed vowel reduction -- Chapter 3 Final syllables -- Chapter 4 Initial syllables -- Chapter 5 Conclusions -- Back matter

Sommario/riassunto

This thorough study of the expression of contrast in the world's vowel systems examines phonetic and phonological differences between so-called strong and weak positions, bringing the full range of data from positional neutralization systems to bear on central questions at the interface between phonetics and phonology. The author draws evidence from a diverse array of sources, bringing together cross-linguistic typological surveys, detailed investigations of the diachrony of specific languages (Slavic, Turkic, Uralic, Austronesian, among many others) and original studies in experimental phonetics. Devoted at once to empirical coverage and to theoretical investigation, this is the first work to compile so exhaustive a study of positional neutralization patterns in the languages of the world. On the basis of this catalog of evidence, the author argues for a diachronically oriented approach to the phonetic



motivations behind phonological patterns, with phonologization as its central mechanism. Three pairs of traditionally-identified strong and weak positions for the realization of vowel contrasts are selected and examined in detail: stressed and unstressed syllables, domain final and non-final syllables, and domain initial and non-initial syllables. Neutralization patterns in each position are extracted from survey data, and analyzed in light of the phonetic characteristics of each pair of positions. Both the nature of the patterns identified as well as the variety and sources of exceptions have important consequences for formal phonology, phonetics, and historical linguistics as well.