Vowel harmony in Emergent Phonology

Diana Archangeli, Douglas Pulleyblank

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter explores how a stripped-down theory of phonology can account for complex patterns of phonological distribution and alternation found in vowel harmony. The hypothesis is that the complex patterns found in phonological systems arise from general human cognition, learning language from the bottom up-Emergent Grammar. Without innate predispositions, lexical items are represented as sets of surface morphs, replacing the unique underlying representations posited in much of generative grammar. Harmony is characterized by well-formedness conditions which prohibit certain feature sequences, a formalization of asymmetries in directly observed distributions. Through examination of harmony in four languages, we demonstrate Emergent analyses of root-restricted harmony (K??a), root and word harmony (Dàgáárè), opacity and directionality (Fula), non-canonical harmony (Nata), and lexical disharmony (Kinande). The Emergent analyses relate transparently to surface forms, yet express generalizations about phonological and morpho-phonological patterns with analyses that very directly characterize the properties of the harmony systems themselves.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Vowel Harmony
PublisherOxford University Press
Pages463-478
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9780191865718
ISBN (Print)9780198826804
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 22 2024

Keywords

  • Acquisition
  • Bottom-up
  • Emergence
  • Frequency
  • Lexical irregularities
  • Morph
  • Morphophonology
  • Neutrality
  • Tongue root
  • Vowel height

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Arts and Humanities
  • General Social Sciences

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