<OT> New Posting: ROA-1012

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 1012-0209

A Multi-Dimensional Model of Modern British English Phonology

Bin Li <billlee1218 at 163.com>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=1012


Abstract:
    Modern British English words could be analyzed and studied,
diachronically or synchronically, from different branches
or schools of linguistics or from different disciplines.
Phonologically, the analysis and study of Modern British
English words are mainly on their pronunciations, syllabification
s and word stresses, which were studied broadly and deeply
by the predecessors who had fruitful research achievements
and rich research experiences. And confined by social and
historical reasons, their research still need to be further
analyzed to make a supplement or an improvement. Nowadays,
the phonological study gradually has been tending to be
interdisciplinary and synthesis. Then, Optimality Theory
(OT for short), which was born in 1990s, was the combination
of phonology and cognitive science. And it becomes populous
in linguistic field after its birth. OT, which is the latest
development of generative grammar, and is the improvement
and development of classical generative phonology, defines
language as a system of conflicting forces with constraint
and constraint hierarchy (H) as its core. It is not only
used in phonology, but also in syntax, semantics, historical
linguistics, first language acquisition, child language
acquisition, foreign language learning, information processing
of human brain imitated by computer and social linguistics.
OT has been being vital in explaining the linguistic phenomenon,
being a universal linguistic theory. But, the theory had
some problems in analyzing and studying linguistic phenomenon.
As a result, Comparative Markedness Theory, Correspondence
Theory, Probability Optimality Theory, and OT with Candidate
Chains were born to help to improve the Optimality Theory.
And, it still has thorny problems in analyzing pronunciations,
word stresses or even syllabifications of Modern British
English (Modern BrE for short) words. And, those problems
are not satisfactorily solved in the theoretical framework
of OT. A Multi-Dimensional Model of Modern BrE Phonology
(MD Model of Modern BrE Phonology for short) was constructed
to analyze, study and explain pronunciations, syllabifications
and word stresses in Modern BrE which could not be settled
in the theoretical framework of OT alone.
    Three questions will be answered in this research. First,
which are the constraints of pronunciations, syllabifications
and word stresses in Modern BrE words and how are they ranked;
Second, is the theoretical framework of OT qualified in
answering those questions; Third, is the MD Model of Modern
BrE Phonology of assistant of OT in explaining those questions.
    This research has five chapters. In this first chapter,
the introduction of the topic of this research, data-collection,
organization and significance of the thesis would be given.
The aim of research is Modern BrE words in ¡®A-/a-¡¯ ending
in vowels, which are collected form Pocket Oxford English-Chinese
Dictionary (New Edition). There are five Chapters in this
thesis. And the research has an important significance theoretica
lly and practically.
    Literature review and approach of this research is in
Chapter 2. By an investigation on the internet such as http://www
.cnki.net, http://www.google.cn, http://www.sciencedirect.com,
and the history of Chinese and Western linguistic research,
it is known that pronunciations, syllabifications or word
stresses of Modern BrE had been studied from different branches
or schools of linguistics ( besides OT ) or from different
disciplines. And, it seems that a synthesis study of phonology
in Modern BrE by OT is seldom seen at home and abroad. Meanwhile,
OT is restrained in solving Modern BrE pronunciations in
its own theoretical framework. Therefore, under the guidance
of SUCCESSION, REFERENCE, SUSPICION, HYPOTHESIS, EXPLORATION
and VERIFICATION, MD Model of Modern BrE Phonology, which
carries forward the former and present research achievements
and experiences, draws the theoretical framework of Optimality
Theory and combines historical linguistics and etymology
in it. It is hypothesized as the approach of this thesis.
    Chapter 3 is the OT analysis of Modern BrE word phonologicall
y. First, these words are described in final vowel phonemes,
syllables, the relation between the final phonemes and their
preceding phonemes and etymology. Then, syllabifications
and word stresses will be analyzed in OT to find out the
constraints and constraint hierarchies. It is clearly seen
that the syllabifications are influenced and confined by
phonotactic, morphology, etymology and word stress. The
etymology in syllabifications and word stresses of some
words could not be answered in the theoretical framework
of OT. And the pronunciations of Modern BrE words could
not be explained satisfactorily in the theoretical framework
of OT. It is said in this research that it could be done
with the assistant of MD Model of Modern BrE Phonology.
A Modern BrE word acacia is taken as the example to explain
its pronunciation, as well as its syllabification and word
stress in MD Model of Modern BrE
Phonology. After that, how to operate the model is introduced.
And, this is the content of Chapter 4.
    The conclusion and prospect is in Chapter 5. The MD
Model of Modern BrE Phonology which is aimed at phonology
with the characteristics of cross-disciplinary, synthesis
and entirety, broadens, deepens and strengthens OT in explaning
phonology and makes a little contribution to OT. Phonological
study of Modern BrE is a part of the study of Modern BrE.
It is not only an essential composition of Indo-European
phonological study and phonological study of human natural
language, but also is a reference from which Chinese phonological
study could draw. In a word, this research has an important
significance theoretically and practically. Finally, it
is hyphothesised that a Multi-Dimensional Model of Phonology
(MD Model of Phonology for short) that might be applied
to other languages based at the MD Model of Modern BrE Phonology.
    There is no end to learning. The MD Model of Modern
BrE Phonology still needs to be improved and developed in
later study and research, and needs to be testified by more
phonological facts.

Comments: This MA thesis proposed a model in the framework of OT in solving pronunciation, syllabification and word stress in Modern British English.
Keywords: Modern British English Phonology, Multi-Dimensional Model of Modern BrE Phonology, Constraint and Constraint Hierarchy, Optimality Theory, Multi-Dimensional Model of Phonology
Areas: Phonology
Type: Masters Dissertation

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=1012