<OT> New Posting: ROA-760

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 760-0705

Syllabic structure and schwa-epenthesis in French

Andrea Braun <andrea-2 at gmx.de>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=760


Abstract:
In spoken French, it is often possible to hear a schwa-sound
appearing in words or sequences of words in which this sound
does not etymologically exist. Since comprehensive and systematic
data concerning this phenomenon are lacking in the literature,
this paper presents an investigation in which the examples
of schwa-epenthesis that are only marginally mentioned are
systematically collected and submitted to French native
speakers. It is shown that the majority of these speakers
almost systematically insert a schwa-sound at word boundaries
to avoid the formation of complex consonant clusters in
pronunciation. Arguing that this phenomenon aims at improving
the syllable structure within the French 'chaîne parlée',
this paper explores the morpho-phonological contexts in
which schwa-epenthesis regularly occurs in French. In addition,
it is suggested that schwa-epenthesis is also apparent in
expressions such as 'bourses pleines', as well as in the
formation of some nouns and adverbs, where an etymologically
motivated e-instable appears in written language. In order
to support this hypothesis, an attempt is made to analyse
schwa-epenthesis in French within the frame of optimality
theory. It is shown that all the discussed examples can
be explained by a single epenthesis-ranking of OT's basic
syllable structure constraints.

Comments: 
Keywords: Syllable, morphology, epenthesis, schwa, ranking, optimality, French
Areas: Morphology
Type: Manuscript

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=760