LING2002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Vowel Harmony, Consonant Harmony, Multilinear Map
Monday, 15 May 2017
LECTURE 21
ASSIMILATION
-Key points:
•Assimilation is a major type of phonological process across languages
•Vowel harmony and consonant harmony of non-adjacent segments indicates that vowels and
consonants can operate independently of each other in assimilation processes
•Assimilation can be seen in terms of how a phonetic property is associated to multiple segments (or
slots) in a word
-And represented in Multi-linear Phonology
-Linear approach
•In earlier models, the results of assimilation are no different from any other feature specifications:
•The assimilation pattern is expressed by the rule:
-That this is a type of assimilation can be read into this rule
•But it is not actually explicit in the rule or in representations
-Assimilation is a very significant cross-linguistic phenomenon
•So, serious weakness of a uni-linear model
-Review: the segment in non-linear phonology
•In multi-linear / nonlinear phonology…
-Specification for a given phonetic property (ex/ [±round]) may be relatively independent of the
segment positions in a word:
!1
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Monday, 15 May 2017
•A single feature specification may hold over more than one position in a word, and
•More than one value of some feature may hold over a single word position
-Association lines between tiers express how the instructions on each tier are coordinated with
each other
-Assimilation in multilinear phonology
•In a multi-linear account, assimilation is expressed by:
-A representation in which feature specifications (ex/ [-voi]) are shared across the two timing slots
-The rule which spreads the [-voi] specification
•And makes explicit what has been shared
•Example:
-In the resulting surface representation [-voice] is shared
-The general nature of assimilation
•What kinds of assimilation occur in the languages of the world?
-Do all features spread individually (such as [±voice])?
-Can any combination of features spread as a group?
•Or do specific groups of features tend to spread together?
•If so, what relationships between features does this reveal?
!2
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Document Summary
Linear approach: in earlier models, the results of assimilation are no different from any other feature speci cations, the assimilation pattern is expressed by the rule: That this is a type of assimilation can be read into this rule: but it is not actually explicit in the rule or in representations. Assimilation is a very signi cant cross-linguistic phenomenon: so, serious weakness of a uni-linear model. Review: the segment in non-linear phonology: in multi-linear / nonlinear phonology . Speci cation for a given phonetic property (ex/ [ round]) may be relatively independent of the segment positions in a word: !1: a single feature speci cation may hold over more than one position in a word, and, more than one value of some feature may hold over a single word position. Association lines between tiers express how the instructions on each tier are coordinated with each other. Assimilation in multilinear phonology: in a multi-linear account, assimilation is expressed by:
