scholarly journals Sonority Sequencing Principle in Sabzevari Persian: A Constraint-Based Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 434-465
Author(s):  
Mufleh Salem M. Alqahtani

AbstractThis study sheds light on the relationship between the Sonority Sequencing Principle (SSP) and syllable structure in Sabzevari, a Persian vernacular spoken in the Sabzevar area of Northeast Iran. Optimality Theory (OT), as a constraint-based approach, is utilized to scrutinize sonority violation and its repair strategies. The results suggest that obedience to the SSP is mandatory in Sabzevari, as shown through the treatment of word-final clusters in Standard Persian words which violate the SSP. These consonant clusters are avoided in Sabzevari by two phonological processes: vowel epenthesis and metathesis. Vowel epenthesis is motivated by final consonant clusters of the forms /fricative+coronal nasal/, /plosive+bilabial nasal/, /fricative+bilabial nasal/, /plosive+rhotic/, /fricative+rhotic/, and /plosive+lateral/. Metathesis, as another repair strategy for sonority sequencing violations, occurs when dealing with final consonant clusters of the forms /plosive+fricative/and / fricative+lateral/.

Author(s):  
Mohd Hamid Raza

This paper provided the basic information of the phonological processes as the Coda Neutralization and Phonotactics of English Loans in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). The objectives of this paper were to represent the aspects of the coda neutralization in the sense of voiced obstruent segment becomes voiceless obstruent segment in the final syllable structure of the loanwords, and the consonant clusters break within the insertion of an extraneous segment in any location of the English Loans in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu. In the another framework, this paper revealed the phenomena of devoicing features of coda consonants and the grades of the additional segments in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu loanwords within the principles of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky, 1993). The central idea of this paper was to explore the process of conflicts between the candidates at the surface level and reflects the properties of the input candidate by the observation of the constraint rankings. In this study, it was propounded the effective formalities of the hierarchy of the constraint rankings and drew one of the best candidates as an optimal candidate out of the output candidates from English loans in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu. The groundwork of this paper was related to the significant aspects of the English loans that were adapted within the addition, insertion, or deletion of the segments in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu. In this paper, it was also determined the facts of the coda devoicing of the speech segments in terms of neutralization at the end of the syllable structure of English loans in Pilibhit Hindi-Urdu.


Author(s):  
Christian Uffmann

The relationship between phonological theory and World Englishes is generally characterized by a mutual lack of interest. This chapter argues for a greater engagement of both fields with each other, looking at constraint-based theories of phonology, especially Optimality Theory (OT), as a case in point. Contact varieties of English provide strong evidence for synchronically active constraints, as it is substrate or L1 constraints that are regularly transferred to the contact variety, not rules. Additionally, contact varieties that have properties that are in some way ‘in between’ the substrate and superstrate systems provide evidence for constraint hierarchies or implicational relationships between constraints, illustrated here primarily with examples from syllable structure. Conversely, for a scholar working on the description of World Englishes, OT can offer an explanation of where the patterns found in a contact variety come from, namely from the transfer of substrate constraint rankings (and subsequent gradual constraint demotion).


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Metab Alhoody ◽  
Mohammad Aljutaily

The paper investigates the syllable structures of Qassimi Arabic (QA), which is a sub-dialect of Najdi Arabic (NA) and is spoken in the north-central region of Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Qassim Region. Within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT), we show how the well-formed syllable is derived from the interaction of constraints. We show how the OT captures some of the major processes for structuring the syllables of QA, such as syncope, epenthesis, and geminate. The analysis revealed that onsetless syllables are prohibited in QA. The dialect allows word-initial consonant clusters, which is a result of the syncope process. Coda clusters also occur in QA that must obey the Sonority Sequencing Principle (SSP); otherwise, epenthesis presents to repair the violation. As for the geminates, QA permits geminates medially and finally, but not initially. The data revealed that QA demonstrates seven fundamental syllable structures grouped into three categories: light syllables, as in CV; heavy syllables, as in CVV and CVC; and super heavy syllables, as in CVVC, CVCC, CCVVC and CVVCC.


Phonology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Alasdair Morrison

Scottish Gaelic displays a phonological contrast that is realised in different dialects by means of tonal accent, glottalisation or overlength. In line with existing analyses of similar oppositions in languages such as Swedish, Danish, Franconian and Estonian, I show that this contrast reflects a difference in metrical structure. Using the framework of Stratal Optimality Theory, I argue that this metrical contrast is derived, and results from faithfulness to foot structure that is built regularly at the stem level, but rendered opaque by subsequent phonological processes. Scottish Gaelic therefore represents an intermediate stage in the diachronic development of underlyingly contrastive metrical structure. This analysis successfully accounts for the complex properties of svarabhakti, a process of copy epenthesis that is intimately connected to the phonological contrast in question, and also sheds light upon the relationship between the oppositions of tonal accent, glottalisation and overlength found in various languages of northern Europe.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-84
Author(s):  
Dedy Suhery ◽  
Happy Sri Rezeki Purba ◽  
Mohammad Hamid Raza ◽  
Khairun Nisah

Abstract  This paper contains the phonological properties of the syllable structures and the economical procedures of the words in the Urdu language. The paper determines the behavior of certain segments that attach to its own neighboring words and elaborates the economy of the syllable structure of tokens in a particular language. In Urdu, there are various types of segmental processes in terms of addition or deletion of phonemes that affects to root and alters the entire physical mechanism structure of words. The objectives of this paper are to know the exact economic conditions of syllable structures in the words after the addition or elision of segments in the Urdu language. All the process of conflicts between the segments will manipulate by the help of constraint rankings in Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky, 1993). The general purpose of this paper is to reveal the whole criteria of implications of principles of Optimality theory and explore the actual framework of syllables with their marginal and obligatory components. The researcher governs the phonological property of consonant clusters with the help of faithfulness constraints and markedness constraints. The architecture of root word completely varies from the artificial formulation of other words, but after the imposition of constraints, we reveal the concrete fact of linguistic items in a specific language. The groundwork of this paper leads to the systematic phenomena of epenthesis and elimination of vowels or consonants with the tenets of OT. In this study, the researcher conveys the representations of consonant clusters and how the adjacent consonants parse by the effect of the extraneous segment in the syllable structure of words. The researcher considers the typology of the syllable structure of words and the phonological observations of linguistic features. This paper deals with the gradient property of segments that alters the framework of underlying form and affected by some other features at the surface form. The generalization of each step of the syllable structure of words should be related to the positional variation of input and output candidates. The conflicts between input and output candidates to become the winner as an optimal candidate can be solved only on the presence of constraint rankings that are evolving in the Optimality Theory. The central idea of this paper delineated the reflection of surface forms that create conflicts between other candidates, solve only through the use of constraints of Optimality Theory. A surface form may be optimal in the sense of least serious violations of a set of violable constraints in a language hierarchy of constraints. It is considered that syllable structure with the phonological and phonetic representation of forms is the major ingredient generalization of the structure of words in a particular language. It is a crucial aspect of a sequence of segments to organize in a well-formed structure after the intervention of vowels and consonants because syllable governs the account of epenthesis and elimination process. In the pattern of sequence of segments in the syllables, there is the process of epenthesis and deletion of phonemes that creates a new wave of segmental processes. This paper determines the syllabic well-formedness turn out of instantiation that refers to the conflicts between faithfulness and well-formedness structure of words regarding the syllables. The range of syllables and the economic property of words in the individual languages rise by the interactions of well-formedness and faithfulness constraints. The basic provision of this paper is to know the precise nature of the typology of the syllable structure in the words and explores how OT captures the well-formedness constraints of input and output candidates. Our whole discussion in this paper will draw on the typological representation of Optimality Theory and the logical results of Prince and Smolensky (1993) that are transposed into a correspondence format. After the analysis of the structural typology of syllables and epenthesis in the Urdu language, we will develop the factorial typology of syllabic well-formedness and faithfulness constraints in the words. We will elaborate on the major factors of constraints and epenthesis at the level of cross-linguistic properties of a particular language. In this study, we will learn how a range of phonological factors of syllable structures triggered by the markedness constraints that is depending on the formal features of faithfulness constraints. It is investigated that unity and diversity at the level of syllable structure are oriented by OT due to the interaction between deep and surface forms to mark the constraints in various repair strategies. It is the process of relating the ranking of different faithfulness constraints with the result of the typological observation of candidates. This paper determines that the factorial typology of the syllable structure of words is based on the Correspondence Theory (McCarthy and Prince 1995) that is a sub-theory of faithfulness constraints allowing a limited set of structural changes such as; addition, deletion, insertion, fusion, featural changes, etc. The central goal of this paper is to shed light on the core behavior of OT principles that are applied to the syllables of the words to find out the exact tokens of a particular language. It is examined that the universality of constraint rankings is sketched by the application of linguistic theory with the notions of ‘possible grammatical processes' and possible interactions of processes'. Some experts provided the values of syllable structures with the tenets of OT as the unmarked value for open or closed syllables. It is a type of assumption that some languages may or may not be open syllables (CV) and closed syllables (VC), while the notion of universality represents all aspects of syllables in all existing languages. This paper reveals that the notion of markedness constraints and faithfulness constraints is not only relevant to the sound system but also proposes to the syllable structure of words and their economy in a particular language. In addition to that, I also apply some better-known arguments originally adduce in support of constraint rankings. Keywords: Optimality Theory; Syllable Structure; Economy; Segmental Processes; Syllable Typology  


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p51
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Qudah ◽  
Isra’a Isam Al-Hanaktah ◽  
Bashar Mohammad Al-Kaseasbeh

The present study aims at contrasting the patterns governing noun diminutive formation between Tafili Spoken Arabic (TSA), a dialect in Jordanian Arabic (JA), and Jijilian Spoken Arabic (JSA), a dialect in Algerian Arabic, and then accounting for that within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). Throughout the analysis of the collected data, it is found that the diminutive forms in both dialects are based on a change in the phonological processes of a word by insertion, deletion or changing of some phonological segments. However, the present study has disclosed that noun diminutive forms in TSA result from the application of the following phonological processes: vowel epenthesis, vowel shortening, glide insertion, vowel syncope, and the insertion of the glottal stop at the beginning of words. Whereas noun diminutive forms in JSA result from the application of the following phonological processes: vowel syncope, vowel epenthesis, vowel shortening, glide insertion, degemination and metathesis. The application of OT to account for those phonological processes indicates that they happen from a continual conflict between some markedness constraints and faithfulness constraints. The researchers recommend for another study to be applied investigating and contrasting the patterns governing noun diminutive formation between other two dialects by accounting for that within the framework of OT.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
MUFLEH ALQAHTANI ◽  
Rebecca Musa

<p>Vowel epenthesis is discussed in this paper as a phonological process utilized to avoid codas in Arabic loanwords in Hausa language in light of Optimality Theory (OT), as an analytical framework, even though this language permits codas in heavy syllables of the form CVC  (Caron, 2011). This process results in having disyllabic, trisyllabic, or qadri-syllabic words (words with four syllables) depending on the forms of Arabic loanwords as well as  mono-syllabic words with final bi-consonant clusters. This study primarily relies on extant literature including theses, books, articles. Furthermore, the authors’ intuition is crucially deemed the judge on the facts of the data . This paper concludes that codas in Arabic loanwords in Hausa motivate vowel epenthesis either once or twice, depending on the forms of words; i.e. disyllabic or monosyllabic. Also, the number of vowel insertion depends on the number of consonants in the coda postion, i.e. /CVCC/→ vowel epenthesis→ [CVC.C<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">V</span></strong>] or [CV.C<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">V</span></strong>.C<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">V</span></strong>].</p>


Author(s):  
Mahmood Bijankhan

This chapter reviews the organization of sounds in the contemporary Persian language and discusses the issues in phoneme inventory, syllable structure, distinctive features, phonological rules, rule interaction, and prosodic structure according to the framework of the derivational phonology. Laryngeal states responsible for contrast in pairs of homorganic stops and fricatives are different in Persian. Phonological status of continuancy is controversial for the uvular obstruent. Glottal stop is distinctive at the beginning of loan-words while not at the beginning of the original Persian words. Phonotactic constraints within the codas of the syllables violate the sonority sequencing principle. Glottals are moraic in the coda position. Feature geometry is posited on the sound distinctions and patterns within phonological processes. Eleven phonological rules are explained to suggest natural classes. Interaction of some rules is derived. Laryngeal conspiracy, syllable structure, and intersegmental processes are analysed according to interaction of ranked violable constraints of optimality theory.


2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROLINE FÉRY

The quality of vowels in French depends to a large extent on the kind of syllables they are in. Tense vowels are often in open syllables and lax vowels in closed ones. This generalisation, which has been called loi de position in the literature, is often overridden by special vowel-consonant co-occurrence restrictions obscuring this law. The article shows first that the admission of semisyllables in the phonology of French explains a large number of counterexamples. Many final closing consonants on the phonetic representation can be understood as onsets of following rime-less syllables, opening in this way the last full syllable. Arguments coming from phonotactic regularities support this analysis. The second insight of the article is that Optimality Theory is a perfect framework to account for the intricate data bearing on the relationship between vowels and syllable structure. The loi de position is an effect dubbed Emergence of the Unmarked, instantiated only in case no higher-ranking constraint renders it inactive.


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