The work discusses the notion of the basic phonological segment from the perspective of selected European and American phonological theories. The discussion consists in the analyses of specific phonological problems in accordance with the tenets of a given framework,
starting with the Kazan School and ending with the Optimality Theory.
The goal of this study is to show the differences in the methodology and predictions of each framework that prove significant in the process of establishing the basic phonological unit. The dissertation elaborates on the data from English, Polish, German, and Russian. The main body of the work comprises the issues of biuniqueness and overlapping, the symmetry of a phonological system and levels of phonological representation.
The book makes a relevant contribution to the discussion on the phonological theory. Monika Konert-Panek consistently demonstrates differences between basic concepts, levels of representation and explanatory potential of frameworks, starting from the influential ideas of the Kazan School, advocated in the second half of the 19th century, to Optimality Theory, which constitutes one of the main formal approaches nowadays. Clarity and accessibility of presentation make it possible for the reader to understand the nature of a topic as complex and diversified as phonology. Therefore, the book is recommended not only for scholars and students interested in phonology but also for readers interested in general linguistics. (Prof. Paula Orzechowska, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań)
The discussion presented in the book consists in the analyses of selected phonological problems from the perspective of a given framework. Not only does this approach allow the readers to examine classic theories from the perspective of their successors, but it also makes it possible to enter the minds of old masters to resolve some later-emerged problems with their analytical tools. (Prof. Klementina Jurančič, University of Maribor)
The publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Poland license (CC BY 3.0 PL) (full license available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode).
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Publikacja na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 PL (CC BY 3.0 PL) (pełna treść wzorca dostępna pod adresem: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode).
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Dr Monika Konert-Panek (ORCID 0000-0002-1463-3357) – PhD, works as Assistant Professor at the Institute of Specialised and Intercultural Communication at the University of Warsaw. She was also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bologna, University of Trier and KU Leuven. Her current research interests cover the areas of sociophonetics, phonology and stylistics, with the focus on singing accent properties from the usage-based perspective.
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Dr Monika Konert-Panek (ORCID 0000-0002-1463-3357) – od 2007 roku doktor nauk humanistycznych w zakresie językoznawstwa, adiunkt w Instytut Komunikacji
Specjalistycznej i Interkulturowej na Wydziale Lingwistyki Stosowanej Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Była również Visiting Scholar na Uniwersytecie Bolońskim, Katolickim Uniwersytecie Lowańskim oraz na Uniwersytecie w Trewirze. Jej obecne zainteresowania badawcze obejmują obszary fonetyki i fonologii języka angielskiego, socjolingwistyki, stylistyki oraz lingwistyki kontrastywnej.
Symbols and abbreviations 9
Acknowledgements 11
Preface 13
Chapter 1. Theoretical background 19
1.1. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory of
alternations 19
1.2. The Prague School: functionalist structuralism
22
1.3. Distributional structuralism 27
1.4. Early Generative Phonology 34
1.5. Natural Generative Phonology 41
1.6. Lexical Phonology 43
1.7. Optimality Theory 48
1.8. Partial conclusions 50
Chapter 2. Biuniqueness and overlapping 51
2.1. The status of flap in American English 51
2.1.1. Basic generalisations 52
2.1.2. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory
of alternations 52
2.1.3. The Prague School: functionalist
structuralism 55
2.1.4. Distributional structuralism 56
2.1.5. Early Generative Phonology 58
2.1.6. Natural Generative Phonology 60
2.1.7. Lexical Phonology 60
2.1.7.1. Borowsky’s analysis 60
2.1.7.2. Rubach’s analysis 62
2.1.7.3. Lexical Phonology: partial conclusions
66
2.1.8. Optimality Theory 66
2.1.9. Flapping in American English: partial
conclusions 67
2.2. The status of angma in English 68
2.2.1. Basic generalisations 68
2.2.2. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory
of alternations 69
2.2.3. The Prague School: functionalist
structuralism 70
2.2.4. Distributional structuralism 71
2.2.4.1. Sapir’s analysis 71
2.2.4.2. Jones’s analysis 72
2.2.4.3. Distributional structuralism: partial
conclusions 74
2.2.5. Early Generative Phonology 74
2.2.6. Natural Generative Phonology 77
2.2.7. Lexical Phonology 78
2.2.8. Optimality Theory 83
2.3. Partial conclusions 87
Chapter 3. Symmetry of a phonological system 88
3.1. Basic generalisations: Nasal Assimilation and
Nasal Gliding 89
3.2. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory of
alternations 90
3.3. The Prague School: functionalist structuralism
95
3.4. Distributional structuralism 99
3.5. Early Generative Phonology 103
3.6. Natural Generative Phonology 109
3.7. Lexical Phonology 114
3.8. Optimality Theory 116
3.9. Partial conclusions 120
Chapter 4. Levels of phonological representation 123
4.1. Phonemic representation 124
4.1.1. Voice Asssimilation: basic generalisations
124
4.1.2. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory
of alternations 126
4.1.3. The Prague School: functionalist
structuralism 128
4.1.4. Distributional structuralism vs.
generativism: Halle’s analysis 130
4.1.5. Schane: The Phoneme Revisited 131
4.1.6. Natural Generative Phonology 133
4.1.7. Lexical Phonology 134
4.1.8. Optimality Theory 140
4.1.9. Voice Assimilation: partial conclusions 146
4.2. Morphophonological representation 147
4.2.1. The problem of German ch: basic
generalisations 147
4.2.2. The Kazan School: Kruszewski’s theory
of alternations 148
4.2.3. The Prague School: functionalist
structuralism 150
4.2.4. Distributional structuralism 151
4.2.5. Early Generative Phonology 156
4.2.6. Natural Generative Phonology 157
4.2.7. Lexical Phonology 159
4.2.8. Optimality Theory 165
4.2.9. The problem of German ch: partial
conclusions 168
Chapter 5. Conclusions 170
References 173
Index of names 178
Index of subjects 180
