Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2001 im Fachbereich Romanistik - Spanische Sprache, Literatur, Landeskunde, einseitig bedruckt, Note: 1,3, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Romanistik), Veranstaltung: Proseminar, 3 Quellen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: In seinem Buch "Preference Laws" beschäftigt sich Theo Vennemann mit bevorzugten Silbenstrukturen und deren Veränderungen im Verlauf der Zeit in verschiedenen Sprachsystemen. Er hat Ergebnisse von zahlreichen Forschungen des 19. Jahrhunderts, die ebenfalls die Silbe betrafen, mit einbezogen und daraus resultierende Preference Laws für bevorzugte Silbenstrukturen aufgestellt. Die Preference Laws von Theo Vennemann betreffen sowohl einzelne Silben, für die er das Head Law, das Nucleus Law und das Coda Law aufgestellt hat, als auch Silbenfolgen, deren Gesetze er im Weight Law, Law of Initials, Law of Finals, Strength Assimilation Law und dem Contact Law festhält. Diese Gesetze sind allgemein gültige Theorien, die weltweite Sprachsysteme umfassen und auf den kommunikativen Aufnahme- und Ausdrucksfähigkeiten des Menschen basieren. Diese allgemeine Gültigkeit der Gesetze erklärt zugleich auch die erstaunliche Gleichmäßigkeit zwischen Sprachsystemen. In den "Preference Laws" verwendet Vennemann zahlreiche Beispiele aus vielen Sprachen, hauptsächlich aus dem Deutschen und dem Italienischen, die in diesem Werk aber auch durch Beispiele aus dem Spanischen ergänzt wurden.

This book presents a comprehensive and critical overview of historical phonology as it stands today. Scholars from around the world consider and advance research in every aspect of the field. In doing so they demonstrate the continuing vitality and some continuing themes of one of the oldest sub-disciplines of linguistics. The book is divided into six parts. The first considers key current research questions, the early history of the field, and the structuralist context for work on segmental change. The second examines evidence and methods, including phonological reconstruction, typology, and computational and quantitative approaches. Part III looks at types of phonological change, including stress, tone, and morphophonological change. Part IV explores a series of controversial aspects within the field, including the effects of first language acquisition, the status of lexical diffusion and exceptionless change, and the role of individuals in innovation. Part V considers theoretical perspectives on phonological change, including those of evolutionary phonology and generative historical phonology. The final part examines sociolinguistic and exogenous factors in phonological change, including the study of change in real time, the role of second language acquisition, and loanword adaptation. The authors, who represent leading proponents of every theoretical perspective, consider phonological change over a wide range of the world's language families. The handbook is, in sum, a valuable resource for phonologists and historical linguists and a stimulating guide for their students.

The integration of traditional and modern linguistics as well as diachrony and synchrony is the hallmark of an influential trend in contemporary research on language. It is documented in the present collection of 21 new papers on the history and structure of the sounds and other (sub-) systems of human languages, sharing the common reference point of Theo Vennemann, a leading figure in the above-mentioned trend, whom the authors want to honor with this Festschrift.

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Velar Fronting (VF) is the name for any synchronic or diachronic phonological process shifting the velar place of articulation to the palatal region of the vocal tract. A well-known case of VF in Standard German is the rule specifying that the fricative [x] assimilates to [ç] after front segments. VF also refers to the change from velar sounds like [ɣ k g ŋ] to palatals ([ʝ c ɟ ɲ]). The book provides a thorough investigation of VF in German dialects: Data are drawn from over 300 original sources for varieties that are (or were) spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other countries. VF differs geographically along three parameters: (A) triggers, (B) targets, and (C) outputs. VF triggers (=A) are typically defined according to vowel height: In some systems VF is induced only by high front vowels, in others by high and mid front vowels, and in yet others by high, mid, and low front vowels. Some varieties treat consonants ([r l n]) as triggers, while others do not. VF can be nonassimilatory, in which case the rule applies even in the context of back segments. In many varieties of German, VF targets (=B) consist of the two fricatives [x ɣ], but in other dialects the targets comprise [x] but not [ɣ]. In some places, VF affects not only [x ɣ], but also velar stops and the velar nasal. The output of VF (=C) is typically palatal [ç] (given the input [x]), but in many other places it is the alveolopalatal [ɕ]. A major theme is the way in which VF interacts with synchronic and diachronic changes creating or eliminating structures which can potentially undergo it or trigger it. In many dialects the relationship between velars ([x]) and palatals ([ҫ]) is transparent because velars only occur in the back vowel context and palatals only when adjacent to front sounds. In that type of system, independent processes can either feed VF (by creating additional structures which the latter can undergo), or they can bleed it (by eliminating potential structures to which VF could apply). In other dialects, VF is opaque. In one opaque system, both velars ([x]) and palatals ([ҫ]) surface in the context of front segments. Thus, in addition to expected front vowel plus palatal sequences ([…iç…]), there are also unexpected ones consisting of front vowel plus velar ([…ix…]). In a second type of opaque system, velars and palatals are found in the context of back segments; hence, expected sequences such as […iç…] occur in addition to unexpected ones like […ɑç…].