1. Chapter 9 Phonological Structure
PHONOLOGY
Lane 335

2. Introduction
Phonological rules make reference to features (individual features, processes)
Phonological representation is characterized as (linear):
Only ‘flat’ sequences of segments and boundaries
Not syllable structure

3. The need for richer phonological representation
The linear formation tells us little about the process it is describing
i [n]edible, i[n] Edinburah’ vs.
‘i [m]possible, i[m] Preston’ vs.
i[ŋ]conceivable, i[ŋ] Cardiff’
[+ nasal] α cor / __ cons
ᵦ ant α ant
ᵦ cor

4. The need for richer phonological representation
No indication that the features are in some way related
It should formally express that it is place of articulation assimilation that is occurring here.
[+ nasal] [α place] / __ cons
[ α place]

5. The need for richer phonological representation
In Desano, the feature nasal is not associated with individual segments , but with the whole world
It’s the word as a whole that is [+ nasal] or [- nasal]
The rule for dark and clear [l] is not very insight full
The occurrence of velarised and non velarised [l] depends on where the [l] appears in a syllable
At the beginning of a syllable: non velarised [l]
At the end or when syllabic: velarised [ɫ]

6. Segment internal structure: feature geometry and underspecification
i [ɱ f]iladelphia i [ɱ v] enice
i [n̪ θ]irsk i [n̪ ð] e Hague
In these examples, /n/ is realised by the labio-dental nasal [ɱ] before [f] and [v] and by dentalised [n̪] before [ð] and [θ]
We can’t represent this alternation by the features [coronal] and [anterior].

7. Segment internal structure: feature geometry and underspecification
Some processes appear to affect manner of articulation not the place.
Lat [akwa] OSpan [aɡwa]
Lenition Process (weakening): the increase in the vocalic nature of a segment which involves voicing and widening of the stricture in the oral tract
The features associated with manner [voice], [continuant], [sonorant]

8. Segment internal structure: feature geometry and underspecification
Feature Geometry: involves organising the features in terms of a tree structure

9. Segment internal structure: feature geometry and underspecification
Root is ‘a holding position’
Nodes are all associated to this root
Only features relevant to the characterisation of the segment are shown “underspecified”
Features playing no distinguishing part in the identification of a segment are not present at the underlying level.

10. Segment internal structure: feature geometry and underspecification
Default rules: assign values to features not specified in the underlying tree.
They add new features to a segment and are classified as structure-building rules.
Node Types:
1- Class nodes (Organizing Nodes) [suplaryngeal] or [manner] (unary)
2- Terminal Nodes [round] [strident]

11. Autosegmental phonology
Afrricates and prenasalised stops pose problems for feature matrices in linear phonology.
Autosegmental phonology: an approach that doesn’t focus on tree structures and features relevant to the argument, but only on relevant features which will linked to C and V positions.
Association lines: link features to C and V positions
Any independent feature linked to a timing slot occupies its own autosegmental tier

12. Autosegmental phonology
Features occupying a tier maybe associated with more than one timing slot.
More than one feature maybe associated with a single spot

13. Autosegmental phonology
we can represent prenasalised stops as involving a doubly- linked nasal specification

14. Autosegmental phonology
it shows representation of assimilation
Rule of spreading:
A dotted line indicates the spreading of an auto segment
The solid line with bars indicates that the feature has been delinked

15. Autosegmental phonology
Autosegmental phonology also deals with vowel harmony.
Vowel Harmony: the tendency of all vowels in a single word to ‘harmonise’; to share some feature or features, usually backness or rounding e.g. Turkish and Hungarian

16. Suprasegmental Structure
The syllable and its internal structure
Syllable structure plays a role in phonological processes (clear and dark l)
Glottalised /t/: the important aspect of the environment is the position of the syllable boundary (nightly, cat)
In (nightly) it’s [ʔ]; in (nitrate) it’s [th]
In (petrol) it’s [ʔ]; in (patrol) it’s [th]
/t/ in ‘petrol’ is ambisyllabic: the coda of the first syllable (it can glottalise) and the onset of the second syllable (it devoices the following liquid)

17. Suprasegmental Structure
Spoonerism: a type of speech error consists of the first segment or cluster of a syllable being swapped for the first segment or cluster of another syllable in a phrase
e.g. ‘mound rune’ for ‘round moon’
Spoonerism provides evidence of structure within the syllable
It shows that we can manipulate parts of syllables in systematic ways

18. Suprasegmental Structure
There are several ways of representing the internal structure of the syllable
The most common one is:

19. Suprasegmental Structure
The sigma stands for ‘syllable’
O stands for ‘onset’
N stands for ‘nucleus’ or head
Co stands for the ‘coda’
R stands for the ‘rhyme’

20. Suprasegmental Structure
Phonotactics: permissible combinations of segments in a particular language.
sleepwalk lab worker livewire leaf worm
In linear terms, theses words exhibit sequences of [pw], [bw], [vw] and [fw]
*pwell *bwee *vwoot *fwite
It’s not the sequence thst is not permitted, but the occurrence of such a sequence in an onset or a coda.
These sequences are only allowed as heterosyllabic (different syllables)
Not allowed in English as tautosyllabic (same syllable)

21. Suprasegmental Structure
In some languages (English, Latin and Arabic) stress is sensitive to syllable weight
Stress: is assigned to particular syllables depending on whether they are light (a short vowel in the nucleus and no coda) or heavy (either a long vowel or diphthong in the nucleus, or a consonant in coda postion)

22. Suprasegmental Structure
One way to distinguish heavy syllables form light ones is Mora
Mora: is a unit of quantity, with a single vowel i. e. light syllable equaling one μ, while a long vowel and a vowel plus coda consonant- i. e heavy syllables- each equal two μs

23. Suprasegmental Structure
Foot: an organizing structure for combining stressed and unstressed syllables
A stressed syllable combined with any unstressed syllables constitutes a foot
Feet maybe leftheaded (stressed syllable on the left), rightheaded, binary( bounded) consisting of two syllables or unbounded consiting of all the syllables in a particular domain
a designate foot consists of a single syllabe

24. Suprasegmental Structure
Foot

25. Suprasegmental Structure
Structure above the foot
Feet may also be combined into larger constituents where one foot is more prominent than others
The last is usually the most prominent and is called the head.