scholarly journals /dˤ/-Variation in Saudi Newscasting and Phonological Theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Yasser A. Al-Tamimi
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Theory Testing ◽  
Articulatory Phonology ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Trace Model ◽  
Lexical Diffusion ◽  
Explanatory Adequacy ◽  
Lexical Items

In his analysis of /dˤ/-variation in Saudi Arabian newscasting, Al-Tamimi (2020) finds unpredicatble variability between the standard variant [dˤ] and the non-standard variant [ðˤ] in different in-words positions, in different phonetic environments, and in semantically ‘content’ and suprasegmentally ‘stressed’ lexical itmes assumed to favor the standard variant. He even finds in many of these lexical items an unusual realizational flucatuation between the two variants. The present exploratory and ‘theory-testing’ study aims to find a reasonable account for these findings through examining the explanatory adequacy of a number of available phonological theories, notions, models and proposals that have made different attempts to accommodate variation, and this includes Coexistent Phonemic Systems, Standard Generative Phonology, Lexical Diffusion, Variable Rules, Poly-Lectal Grammar, Articulatory Phonology, different versions of the Optimality Theory, in addition to the Multiple-Trace-Model, as represented by Al-Tamimi’s (2005) Multiple-Trace-Based Proposal. The study reveals the strengths and weaknesses of these theories in embracing the variability in the data, and concludes that the Multiple-Trace-Based Proposal can relatively offer the best insight as its allows variation to be directly encoded in the underlying representations of lexical items, a status strictly prohibited by the rest of the theories that adopt invariant lexical representations in consonance with the ‘Homogeneity Doctrine’.

scholarly journals Revisiting Phonotactic Generalizations in Australian Languages

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Gasser ◽  
Claire Bowern
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vowel Harmony ◽  
Language Family ◽  
Large Scale Survey ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Lexical Data ◽  
Australian Languages

Australian languages are famous for their uniform phonological systems. Cross-linguistic surveys of (or including) Australian languages have reinforced this view of Australian inventories and phonotactics. Such uniformity is surprising and unusual given the phylogenetic diversity in the country (28 phylic families). Moreover, although Australianists have assumed that uniformity in phonemic inventory is coupled with unity in phonotactics, this has not been tested.  Here we statistically test the generalizations current in the literature on Australian languages by deriving inventory information from lexical data (rather than grammatical descriptions).  We utilize a comparative database of lexical items from predominantly Pama-Nyungan languages in order to test published generalizations about phoneme inventories, phonotactics, and other phenomena (such as root internal vowel harmony patterns). By using lexical materials to derive inventories and segment frequencies, we are able to assemble a nuanced picture of the diversity of systems present among the languages. Inventory studies confirm, to some degree, the impression of uniformity. However, phoneme frequencies vary substantially across the sample even among languages with similar inventory types. This work is of particular importance to phonological typologies of Australian languages, but it has implications for wider phonological theory as well. The survey used here is the largest comparative database of a single language family. Rarely do we have the opportunity to conduct a large-scale typological investigation of related languages in this way. We also make a contribution to the role of typology in Optimality Theory. A large-scale survey of markedness patterns (in related languages) allows us to study occurring and non-occurring grammars. Finally, we can investigate the predictions of competing theories.

Lexical categories and conceptualization of olfaction in Amis

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMY PEI-JUNG LEE
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Perception ◽  
Austronesian Languages ◽  
Verbal Responses ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Lexical Categories ◽  
Identification Test ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Smell Identification

abstractAs one of the Austronesian languages spoken in Taiwan, Amis exhibits abundant lexical items for describing odors. This paper investigates the lexical representations of olfaction across the Amis dialects, showing that Amis possesses more than a dozen abstract odor terms, and uses the proclitic hala=/hali=/ha= plus reduplication of a noun as the source-oriented construction for manifesting olfactory perception. This study also incorporates controlled elicitation by using the booklet of ‘The Smell Identification Test™’ to elicit spontaneous descriptions for the perceived odors. The methodology provides further information to shed light on the categories of verbal responses for odors and the degree of perceptual consistency based on culturally dependent experiences.

scholarly journals Estudo sobre o alçamento de vogais médias pretônicas e os itens lexicais*

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (29) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Maria Do Carmo Viegas
Keyword(s):  
Residue Analysis ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Linguistic Change ◽  
Lexical Diffusion ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Belo Horizonte

<p>O objetivo principal deste trabalho é discutir dois modelos teóricos da mudança lingüística, o modelo neogramático e o modelo difusionista, tendo como ponto de partida a análise do processo de alçamento (ou alteamento) de vogais médias pretônicas no português falado na região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Observei que alguns itens lexicais que foram considerados alçados na literatura não deveriam ser assim considerados, pois poderiam ter sido incorporados ao léxico português com a vogai já alta. Observei ainda que o processo de alçamento é bastante regular nas suas etapas iniciais. Esta afirmação não exclui a seletividade lexical, que foi evidenciada em várias etapas do processo de alçamento. Os primeiros itens atingidos pelo processo foram os itens transmitidos, mais familiares, usados no dia-a-dia, com ambiente de harmonização vocálica, mais nitidamente caracterizado no caso do /e/. Posteriormente o processo adquiriu estigma, associado aos grupos sociais que o utilizavam. O alçamento foi usado indicando desprestígio, atribuindo valor pejorativo, e os itens usados alçados foram dessa maneira reestruturados (vide o número enorme de itens chulos alçados). Ainda hoje, observamos o alçamento de itens que normalmente não são alçados quando se quer marcar estes itens pejorativamente. Adoto o conceito de léxico "conexionista" conforme proposto por Bybee (1995). Neste modelo de léxico estão previstos vários tipos de processos (assimilação, dissimilação, etc.) e está configurada a relação desses processos com o léxico e o seu uso. Opto, portanto, pelo modelo difusionista de mudança lingüística por ser o que descreve e explica melhor os dados aqui levantados.</p> <p> </p> <p>The main purpose of this paper is to make evident that many lexical items of the portuguese language cannot be secn as exceptions to the pretonic mid vowels raising rules as thcy have been considered and that through the residue analysis the remaining exceptions bring out the need of understanding the linguistic change processes as bcing implementcd by lexical diffusion</p>

scholarly journals A relevância do contexto lingüístico na aquisição da fonologia e nos desvios fonológicos do desenvolvimento: o exemplo da palatalização

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 39-52
Author(s):  
Carmen Lúcia Matzenauer-Hernandorena
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
Mixed Solution ◽  
Linguistic Context ◽  
Articulatory Phonology ◽  
Output Constraints ◽  
Context Dependent

Focusing the palatalization of coronal stops, a study with children acquiring Brazilian Portuguese, in normal and deviant process, makes clear a significant influence of the linguistic context in the behavior of consonantal segments, causing phonetic effects of co-articulation. In the analysis of the data, theoretical model based in constraints, as Optimality Theory, and dynamic model, as Articulatory Phonology, show more consistency in the explanation of context dependent phenomenon, like palatalization, than Autosegmental Theory, that demands a mixed solution, with the use of rules and also the use of output constraints.

/dˤ/-Variations in Saudi Arabian Broadcasting and Linguistic Conditioning

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-474
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Word Position ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Modern Standard

This study investigates /dˤ/-variations in Saudi Arabian newscasting under different in-word positions and different phonetic environments in 20 randomly selected newscasts. The study provides a thorough quantitative analysis of the frequency of occurrence of the two coexisting variants [dˤ] and [ðˤ], and concludes that neither in-word position, nor the phonetic environment is able to predict the phonetic behavior of the sound. In a total of 734 /dˤ/-lexical items, the sound was found to be properly realized as [dˤ] in 519 instances (70.7%), and improperly realized as [ðˤ] in 215 tokens (29.3%). The very same percentages were found to quantify the sound variations under each linguistic condition, and the statistical analysis used reveals the irrelevance of each condition to predicting the sound variations. Also, the sound proves to be unpredictable in content and stressed words. Keywords: Modern Standard Arabic, phonological variations, [dˤ] and [ðˤ] variants, linguistic conditioning.

scholarly journals Gemination in Bangla: An optimality Theoretic Analysis

1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somdev Kar
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Phonological Representation ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Lexical Items

This paper attempts to identify and analyze different types of gemination processes in Bangla. The focus is mainly on the phonological representation of sound combinations which forms a set of valid geminates in this language. I argue for three major types of gemination processes present in modern Bangla and a stratification strategy for the relavant lexical items based on their origin (SB, NB and OB, depending on the native vs. two type of borrowings). An analysis of these gemination processes are given in the framework of optimality theory (OT). Therefore, the constraint-based analysis of OT is organized in a threefold argument structure for each stratum. The conclusion is drawn towards an understanding of gemination processes of Bangla for different categories of lexical items and their phonological formuations.DOI: 10.3329/dujl.v1i2.3718 The Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics: Vol. 1 No.2 August, 2008 Page: 87-114

Lexical acquisition and acquisition of initial voiceless stops

1993 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann A. Tyler ◽  
Mary Louise Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Diffusion Model ◽  
Sound Change ◽  
Lexical Acquisition ◽  
New Words ◽  
Voicing Contrast ◽  
Voiceless Stop ◽  
Lexical Diffusion ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Production Accuracy

ABSTRACTThe interaction between lexical acquisition and acquisition of initial voiceless stops was studied in two normally developing children, aged 1;9 and 1;10, by acoustically examining the token-by-token accuracy of initial voiceless stop targets in different lexical items. Production accuracy was also examined as it related to the frequency of usage of different words, as well as the time when they entered the children's lexicons. Fewer than half of the words in the children's lexicons had tokens representing the emergence of accurate voiceless stop production prior to the session at which the voicing contrast was achieved. These words were primarily ‘old’ words that had been in the children's lexicons from the beginning of data collection, as opposed to ‘new’ words, first produced in later recording sessions. Findings are discussed in reference to the ‘lexical diffusion’ model of sound change and within the framework of nonlinear underspecification theory.

scholarly journals Strategi Adaptasi Kata Pinjaman dalam Bahasa Bugis: Koresponden-OO

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 52-76
Author(s):  
Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Sah ◽  
Sharifah Raihan Syed Jaafar
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Word List ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Loanword Adaptation ◽  
Lexical Items

Sebagai masyarakat minoriti di Malaysia, masyarakat Bugis cenderung menyerap masuk leksikal daripada bahasa lain khususnya daripada masyarakat tempatan di kawasan mereka akibat daripada proses asimilasi yang berlaku. Justeru, kajian ini dilakukan untuk menjawab persoalan: (1) bagaimana strategi adaptasi kata pinjaman yang digunakan dalam penyerapan leksikal asing ke dalam bahasa Bugis, dan­­­­ (2) bagaimana strategi adaptasi yang berlaku itu dapat dijelaskan menggunakan pendekatan ­­­Koresponden-OO yang dibangunkan dalam teori Optimaliti. Data telah dikumpulkan melalui kaedah lapangan dan temu bual dengan menggunakan instrumen borang soal selidik, daftar kata.dan alat rakaman.Kajian lapangan dijalankan di Pontian dan Pasir Gudang, Johor serta di Klang, Selangor. Seramai 144 informan daripada tiga kumpulan umur, iaitu warga muda, warga dewasa dan warga tua terlibat dalam menjawab soal selidik dan daftar kata. Hasil dapatan menunjukkan lapan strategi adaptasi kata pinjaman digunakan dalam bahasa Bugis, iaitu peleburan, pengguguran, penggantian segmen, epentesis, perendahan vokal, penggantian nasal, pembentukan hentian glotis dan geminasi. Analisis Koresponden-OO menunjukkan sifat bahasa Bugis yang tidak bertoleransi dengan nahu asing dengan melarang penyerapan penuh leksikal asing yang dipinjam. Hal ini dapat dilihat pada keperluan mematuhi kekangan kebertandaan *LEKSIKAL SAMA yang mendominasi kekangan-kekangan lain dalam tatatingkat nahu bahasa Bugis. Hasil kajian ini dapat membekalkan input kepada aspek bahasa masyarakat Bugis di Malaysia yang telah dikesampingkan sebelum ini, dan berjaya menunjukkan kemampuan Koresponden-OO dalam menjelaskan isu kata pinjaman tanpa mengingkari konsep penting teori Optimaliti, iaitu Keselarian. Kata Kunci: kata pinjaman; strategi adaptasi; bahasa Bugis; teori Optimaliti; Koresponden-OO ABSTRACT As a minority community in Malaysia, the Bugis community tends to utilise lexical items from other languages, particularly from local languages as a result of the assimilation process that took place. Thus, this study was conducted to answer the following questions: (1) how are the loanword adaptation strategies used in absorbing foreign language lexical items into the Bugis language, and (2) how can these adaptation strategies be explained by using the Correspondence-OO approach developed in Optimality theory. Data were collected through field methods and interviews using questionnaire, word list and recording. The field studies were conducted in Pontian and Pasir Gudang, Johor as well as in Klang, Selangor. A total of 144 informants from three age groups, namely among the youth, adults and the elderly who were involved in answering the questionnaire and wordlist. The results revealed that eight loanword adaptation strategies were used in Bugis language, namely fusion, deletion, segment substitution, epenthesis, vowel reduction, nasal substitution, glottal stop formation and gemination. The Correspondence-OO analysis showed an element of Bugis language which is intolerant of foreign grammars by prohibiting the full absorption of borrowed foreign lexical items. This can be observed from the needs to comply with a markedness constraint *SAME LEXICAL, that dominates other constraints in the grammar of the Bugis language. The findings of the study can shed input on the language aspects of the Bugis community in Malaysia that were previously excluded. In addition, it has successfully demonstrated the capability of Correspondence-OO in explaining the issue of loanwords without denying the important concept of Optimality theory, namely Parallelism. Keywords: loanword; adaptation strategy; Bugis language; Optimality theory; Correspondence-OO

The Semantics of the Bengali Verbfεla

1991 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jila Ghomeshi
Keyword(s):  
Word Meaning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Sentence Meaning ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Explicit Representations ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Auxiliary Verb

Any theory of semantics must account for the role of inference in the interpretation of a sentence, however, it is not clear at which level of the grammar this inferencing capability must be represented. In Sperber and Wilson (1986) for example, inference plays an important role in the interpretation of an utterance in discourse, yet their theory does not integrate lexical representations with discourse and inferencing. Jackendoff (1987, 1990) on the other hand, while giving explicit representations for sentences and lexical items, does not address the question of discourse and inference. In this paper I will argue that it is essential to take account of discourse-level factors when analyzing sentence meaning, and indeed word meaning. In particular I will show that the meaning of the auxiliary verbfεla. in Bengali can be properly represented only if such discourse-level factors are included.

Rich Lexical Represe ntations and Conflicting Features

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Hogeweg
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Optimization Process ◽  
Semantic Representations ◽  
Full Understanding ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Common View ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
The Common ◽  
To Come

This paper argues that interpretations are fine-grained and that, to come to a full understanding of meaning, it is important to find out more about how such detailed interpretations are derived. As a first step towards answering this question it is insightful to look at the interpretation of metaphors. Psycholinguistic experiments have shown that the interpretation of metaphors involves the suppression of irrelevant or incompatible features. These studies could be taken as an indication against the common view that word meanings are underspecified and enriched in a context. In contrast with this underspecification view, this paper suggests a view of the lexicon in which words come with very rich semantic representations. When two representations are combined, a conflict may arise when elements of the representations are incompatible. This paper argues that such a conflict is best analyzed in Optimality Theory. The optimization process of combining rich lexical representations is illustrated with an analysis of the adjective-noun combination stone lion.

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