| ROA: | 329 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Weakening Processes in the Optimality Framework |
| Authors: | K.G. Vijayakrishnan |
| Comment: | |
| Length: | 12 |
| Abstract: | Weakening Processes in the Optimality Framework K.G.Vijayakrishnan Processes of weakening may be subsumed under two heads namely, the loss of marked feature specifications such as voicing, aspiration, place specification or even the loss of an entire segment, and lenition, exemplifying processes such as voicing, spirantization and sonorization. This paper is an attempt at an analysis of both types of consonantal weakening in the framework of Optimality Theory (henceforth OT). In section 1 we take up the phenomenon of weakening as the loss of feature specification and propose an analysis in terms of prosodic alignment and featural markedness. Section 2 examines lenition in Tamil and proposes a universal constraint 'Harmonic Sonorancy' which explains the process as an assimilatory tendency to increase the sonority of consonants in the neighbourhood of sonorants. Author's mailing address: 003 Padma Raag Apts. Plot nr. 12-5-59 Chenna Reddy Lane Vijaypuri Secunderabad 500017 India |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |