| ROA: | 432 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Markedness in Prominent Positions |
| Authors: | Paul de Lacy |
| Comment: | Short version appears as (2001) Markedness in prominent positions, in Ora Matushansky, Albert Costa, Javier Martin-Gonzalez, Lance Nathan, and Adam Szczegielniak (eds.) HUMIT 2000, MIT Working Papers in Linguistics 40. Cambridge, MA: MITWPL, pp.53-66 |
| Length: | 14 |
| Abstract: | Markedness in Prominent Positions Paul de Lacy University of Massachusetts This paper is about the relationship between contrast and prominent positions - i.e. onsets, stressed syllables, and root-initial syllables (Beckman 1998). I propose that there are markedness constraints that refer directly to prominent positions. These constraints are needed to deal with cases where neutralization or allophony is restricted to such positions. However, I argue that there are severe restrictions on the form of prominent-position markedness constraints. In particular, the constraints can only mention prosodic elements -- prosodic structure and sonority levels; they cannot mention subsegmental features. The Polynesian language Niuafo'ou is the empirical focus of this paper. [There are two versions of this paper. The short version will be published in A. Nevins (ed) Proceedings of HUMIT, MITWPL. The longer version is for the interested reader.] |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | Phonology |
| Article: | Part 1 Part 2 |