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ROA 728-0305

Lexical category and phonological contrast

Jennifer L. Smith <jlsmith AT email DOT unc DOT edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=728


Abstract:
In a number of languages, nouns show phonologically privileged
behavior compared to verbs. This difference is analyzed
here as an instance of positional faithfulness: the category
noun is a strong position, so the grammar includes noun-specific
faithfulness constraints which, when high-ranking, allow
nouns to be  exempt from neutralization processes that target
other words. Even a case of neutralization that targets
nouns specifically is shown to be a type of neutralization
process that characteristically affects strong positions,
reinforcing the claim that the category noun has a special
status in phonology.

Comments: In R. Kirchner, J. Pater, and W. Wikely, eds. (2001). PETL 6: Proceedings of the Workshop on the Lexicon in Phonetics and Phonology. Edmonton: University of Alberta, 61-72.
Keywords: nouns, positional faithfulness, positional neutralization
Areas: Phonology,Formal Analysis,Psycholinguistics
Type: Conference Proceedings Chapter

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