This volume presents a series of original papers focusing on the theme of phonological argumentation, set within the framework of Optimality Theory. It contains two major sections: (1) chapters about the evidence for and methodology used in discovering the bases of phonological theory, i.e., how constraints are formed and what sort of evidence is relevant in positing them; and (2) case studies that focus on particular theoretical issues within OT, usually through selected phenomena in one or more languages, arguing in favor of or against specific formal analyses. A noteworthy detail of this book is that all of the contributors are connected with the program in phonology and phonetics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, either as current professors or former graduate students. Consequently, all of them have been directly influenced by John McCarthy, himself one of the major proponents of OT. This collection will therefore be of interest to anyone who seriously follows the field of OT. The intended readership is primarily graduate students and those already holding an advanced degree in linguistics, i.e., persons conversant with and capable of interacting with the OT literature.

The Handbook of Phonological Theory, second edition offers an innovative and detailed examination of recent developments in phonology, and the implications of these within linguistic theory and related disciplines. Revised from the ground-up for the second edition, the book is comprised almost entirely of newly-written and previously unpublished chapters Addresses the important questions in the field including learnability, phonological interfaces, tone, and variation, and assesses the findings and accomplishments in these domains Brings together a renowned and international contributor team Offers new and unique reflections on the advances in phonological theory since publication of the first edition in 1995 Along with the first edition, still in publication, it forms the most complete and current overview of the subject in print

This book reviews the history of the interface between morpho-syntax and phonology roughly since World War II. Structuralist and generative interface thinking is presented chronologically, but also theory by theory from the point of view of a historically interested observer who however in the last third of the book distills lessons in order to assess present-day interface theories, and to establish a catalogue of properties that a correct interface theory should or must not have. The book also introduces modularity, the rationalist theory of the (human) cognitive system that underlies the generative approach to language, from a Cognitive Science perspective. Modularity is used as a referee for interface theories in the book. Finally, the book locates the interface debate in the landscape of current minimalist syntax and phase theory and fosters intermodular argumentation: how can we use properties of morpho-syntactic theory in order to argue for or against competing theories of phonology (and vice-versa)?

This book contains a number of studies on modern approaches to phonological segment structure. There are three main sections: (i) a general section, concerned with the basic theory of segmental structure, features, and the organization of segmental structure into feature-geometric trees, (ii) the representation and behaviour of nasality, and (iii) the representation and behaviour of the laryngeal features.

Despite earlier work by Trubetzkoy, Jakobson and Greenberg, phonological typology is often underrepresented in typology textbooks. At the same time, most phonologists do not see a difference between phonological typology and cross-linguistic (formal) phonology. The purpose of this book is to bring together leading scholars to address the issue of phonological typology, both in terms of the unity and the diversity of phonological systems.

This monograph contains two detailed case studies dealing with the phonetics and phonology of affricates and laryngeals. Based on a survey of 281 languages it states a number of universal generalizations which go counter to common assumptions in the phonological and phonetic literature. Most importantly, (1) a phonological concept >affricate Based on the empirical findings the book addresses a number of theoretical issues as, e.g., the interaction of phonetics and phonology, or questions of phonological representation. It is claimed that phonetics fulfills important functions with regard to phonology: 'affrication' and laryngeal phasings (e.g. pre- vs. postaspiration) are presented as purely phonetic strategies which serve to make phonological specifications acoustically more salient. Finally, two revisions to current models of feature theory are proposed, both of which lead to a leaner structure of phonological segments: first, stricture contours are eliminated from phonological representation; second, the 'Laryngeal Node' is attached directly to onsets, nuclei, and codas. Die Monographie enthält zwei Einzelstudien zur Phonologie und Phonetik von Affrikaten und Laryngalen aus insgesamt 281 Sprachen. Die empirischen Ergebnisse widerlegen eine Reihe gängiger Lehrmeinungen, z.B.: (1) Affrikaten sind phonologisch ausschließlich Plosive, (2) Laryngale sind Eigenschaften prosodischer Domänen (Anlaut, Nukleus, Koda), (3) Phonetische Strategien (Affrikatisierung, laryngale Phasierung) dienen der akustischen Verstärkung phonologischer Kontraste. Auf theoretischer Ebene werden Fragen der phonologischen Repräsentation (Merkmalskonturen, prososodische Lizensierung etc.) sowie der Schnittstelle von Phonologie und Phonetik diskutiert.

This book presents the theory of output-driven maps and provides fresh perspectives in an accessible way for students and researchers.