Phonology without tiers: Why the phonetic representation is not derived from the phonological representation

Abstract

This article is essentially an argument against the idea—one of the foundational tenets of generative phonology-that the phonetic representation and the phonological representation are related to one another by computational transformation. The basis of the argument is an analysis of the philosophical presuppositions of the concept ‘representation’. The analysis is made from the perspective not of cognitive science, but of phenomenology. The results of the analysis suggest an alternative approach to phonology, which is outlined in the second half of the article. Finally, some implications of this new framework for practical work are explored, and contrasts drawn between phenomenological phonology and generative phonology.