Phonological Theory Research Articles

The Credit Problem in parametric stress: A probabilistic approach

In this paper, we introduce a novel domain-general, statistical learning model for P&P grammars: the Expectation Driven Parameter Learner (EDPL). We show that the EDPL provides a mathematically principled solution to the Credit Problem (Dresher 1999). We present the first systematic tests of the EDPL and an existing and closely related model, the Naïve Parameter Learner (NPL), on a full stress typology, the one generated by Dresher & Kaye’s (1990) stress parameter framework. This framework has figured prominently in the debate about the necessity of domain-specific mechanisms for learning of parametric stress. The essential difference between the two learning models is that the EDPL incorporates a mechanism that directly tackles the Credit Problem, while the NPL does not. We find that the NPL fails to cope with the ambiguity of this stress system both in terms of learning success and data complexity, while the EDPL performs well on both metrics. Based on these results, we argue that probabilistic inference provides a viable domain-general approach to parametric stress learning, but only when learning involves an inferential process that directly addresses the Credit Problem. We also present in-depth analyses of the learning outcomes, showing how learning outcomes depend crucially on the structural ambiguities posited by a particular phonological theory, and how these learning difficulties correspond to typological gaps.

Nonderived environment blocking and input-oriented computation

AbstractThis paper presents a computational account of nonderived environment blocking (NDEB) that indicates the challenges it has posed for phonological theory do not stem from any inherent complexity of the patterns themselves. Specifically, it makes use of input strictly local (ISL) functions, which are among the most restrictive (i.e., lowest computational complexity) classes of functions in the subregular hierarchy (Heinz 2018) and shows that NDEB is ISL provided the derived and nonderived environments correspond to unique substrings in the input structure. Using three classic examples of NDEB from Finnish, Polish, and Turkish, it is shown that the distinction between derived and nonderived sequences is fully determined by the input structure and can be achieved without serial derivation or intermediate representations. This result reveals that such cases of NDEB are computationally unexceptional and lends support to proposals in rule- and constraint-based theories that make use of its input-oriented nature.

Gĩtigania Nominal Tone

Tone is a suprasegmental feature that refers to the use of pitch in a language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning. Tone plays a crucial role in distinguishing meaning, word classes, tenses as well as different moods inGĩtigania language. This paper describesnominal tone in Gĩtigania, focusing on the tonal patterns as well as the effect of tone on meaning and word classes.The tonally distinctive monosyllabic nouns in Gĩtigania demonstrate both high and low tonal patterns while the bi-syllabic nouns show the HH, LL, HL, and LH tonal alterations. The tri-syllabic nouns on the other hand, demonstrate LHH, LLL, and HHH tone patterns, where similar tones are collapsed in correspondence with the Obligatory Contour Principle. Not only does tone distinguish Gĩtigania lexical items with similar segmental composition, but also brings about a difference in meaning, an indication that tone is minimally contrasting. The Autosegmental Phonological Theory as propounded by Goldsmith (1990) was employed in analysing, interpreting and discussing the data collected. The target population was the nouns in Gĩtigania. This paper used the Judgmental sampling procedure since it allows the researcher to choose desirable and reliable sample members based on one’s knowledge and judgement. Approximately one hundred Gĩtiganianouns generated through non-participant observation and introspection were selected for inclusion in this paper.The findings of this paper are anticipated to add to the existing literature in the field of Phonology.

A contrastive analysis of Korean-Indonesian phonological structures

This paper discusses the contrastive analysis of Korean-Indonesian phonological structure. The contrastive analysis here covers phonological correspondence and phonotactic structure between Korean and Indonesian. It also provides implications to pronunciation learning, especially Korean language learners in Indonesia. This paper is a descriptive qualitative research, using literature study from books, journals, and other related resources. This study revealed that Korean had more monophthongs and diphthongs than Indonesian, with Correspondence between Indonesian’s ‘ə’ and Korean’s ‘ɨ’, Korean’s ‘ə (ㅓ), o (ㅗ)’ and Indonesian’s ‘o’, and Korean’s ‘e (ㅔ), ɜ (ㅐ)’ and Indonesian’s ‘e’. However, Korean and Indonesian had different classification of consonant’s manner of articulation, especially on correspondence between voicing and affricative markedness. On syllable structure, Korean was considered to have stricter syllable structure than Indonesian, as seen on constraint applied on syllable. These findings will help instructor create more effective pronunciation learning, with a comprehensive syllabus in using phonological theory and language skills. However, the suprasegmental aspect and phonological process are excluded from this research.

On the sensitivity of acoustic distance measures to different parameterizations of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and temporal alignment algorithms

The increasing role of large speech databases in phonetic and psycholinguistic research has placed a premium on the efficiency and objectivity with which continuous acoustic signals are encoded in discrete parameters that may then be used in recognition models. One simple and common way speech has been encoded and compared in this work is by (1) converting the acoustic signal into a matrix of MFCCs, and (2) measuring the distance between two or more matrices following the application of a temporal alignment algorithm (e.g., dynamic time warping, cross-correlation) to account for differences in utterance rate. The specification of both the MFCCs and the alignment algorithm requires control over a wide array of variables, many of which have both theoretical and experimental implications, and yet most of these variables are set to default values specified in toolkits like the HTK and the Phonological CorpusTools software (Young et al., 2002; Hall et al., 2017). This project uses a large multispeaker database of nonword syllable production and perception (Woods et al., 2010) to test the performance of this acoustic distance procedure over the full parameter space, and evaluate the degree of accordance of such measurements with phonological theory and perceptual data.

Linguistic Features Observed in Hausa Spoken by Karai-Karai in Kukar Gadu and Its Environs

The purpose of the paper is to examine the linguistic features in Hausaspoken by Karai-Karailiving in Kukar-Gadu and its environs. The study presents 4 features which are so peculiar. They are insertion of velar ejective voiceless /q/ consonant sound such as qaayaa as in ayaa ‘tiger nut’, qaauree as in aureeetc.ii. De-bilabialisation of the bilabial, nasal, plosive, voiced /m/ sound with alveolar nasal voiced /ŋ/ phoneme as in atamfaa becomes atanfaa‘wrapper’,damshi becomes danshi ‘moisture etc.iii. Deletion of velar, ejective, voiceless /q/ consonant sound as in qaaragoo becomes?’ araagoo ‘groundnut cake’ andqafa becomes ‘?afaa. iv. Substitution of alveolar lateral voiced /l/ sound with labio velar, approximant voiced /w/ sound as in lokaci becomes wokaci ‘time’ and low vowel /a/ substituted high back vowel /u/ respectively. The paper adopted Donegen, S.S. (1979) theory of natural phonology. Unstructured interview and native speaker intuition was employed in making inferences in the study. The findings reveal that not only the Karai-Karai, Fulani but also the Ngamos among others that lives in the area that the said features can be observed in their speeches while pronouncing some names in respective of age or gender and the meaning of the word remains unchanged.Lastly, the paper discovered some sounds which appeared neither in word initial, medial nor word-final position but are not incorporated into Karai-Karai alphabets. They are /mb/ as in mbủxu ‘mold’, mbandi ‘things’, /kw/ as in talakwa ‘tuesday’ bunkwu ‘hide’, /o/ as in ỏyum ‘money’, oci ‘goat’ etc.

AFIKSASI BAHASA BALI SUATU KAJIAN MORFOFONEMIK

<p><span lang="EN-IN">This study aims to describe the morphophonemic process that occurs as a result of the affixing process. The theory used in this research is the theory of Generative Morphology and Phonology (Schane, 1992). The results of this study indicate; (1) there is a change in sound that produces a new sound due to the meeting of two different morphemes, such as: nasal /ŋ/ becomes a homogeneous sound with preexisting obstruent sounds, such as [p, b, d, t, c , j, s, k, g] and changes in vowel sounds in the affixation process, such as changes in vowels [a, u] turning into vowels [o], [a, i] turning into vowels [e]; (2) there are additional sounds caused by the meeting of two different morphemes, such as the addition of sounds [n, y, w, l, k, t].</span></p>

The Syllable Structure of Tiv

Linguistic studies reveal that every language has a particular way of combining its sounds to form words or parts of words called syllables. The paper looks at the syllable structure of the Tiv language, one of the Bantoid languages spoken mostly in the Middle Belt area of Nigeria, especially in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa and Cross River states of Nigeria. The objective of the study is to investigate the internal structure of syllables in the Tiv language in order to establish the regularities and restrictions inherent in the language. The study, therefore, aims at ascertaining the syllable patterns that are found in Tiv. This study adopts qualitative and analytical research design using the C V tier model of the phonological theory of syllable analysis as proposed by McCarthy (1979) and adopted by Clements and Keyser (1983), to explicate the permissible patterns of syllable structures in Tiv. Data for the study were gathered from native speakers of Tiv, whose language has not been corrupted by urbanisation and the researchers' intuitive knowledge of the Tiv language. It was found out in the study that, some of the permissible syllable structures in Tiv language include vowels and consonants like v, cv, ccv, cccv, cvc. It was also discovered that all the five vowels of the English alphabets may begin or end a syllable in the Tiv language. As found in English and other languages where the sequential occurrence of two or more consonants is termed consonant cluster, the Tiv syllable structure permits two or more consonants at the initial or final positions of the syllable which could occur as onset or coda, but they are not regarded as consonant clusters. They are regarded as co-articulations. The study concludes that Tiv language has a wide range of phonotactic constraints which if studied can contribute to the development of Tiv language.

ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE ERRORS IN THE VIDEO OF PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO’S OFFICIAL SPEECH ON YOUTUBE IN 2019

This research aims to describe the form of language errors, namely pronunciation, and dictionerrors. This type of research is qualitative using a qualitative descriptive method. The technique used in data collection is to listen to the advanced technique, be free to engage in conversation, and take notes. The data collection instruments in this study were using data cards, documentation, and questionnaires. The data in this research are in the form of words from the pronunciation of President Joko Widodo and the source of this research data comes from the video of President Joko Widodo’s speech on Youtube. The data validity technique usestriangulation of methods and theories. The data is confirmed to be the same even though using different methods. In addition, the data was checked based on phonological theory. The data were analyzed using the agih method, with the determinant of the relevant language being the target object of the research. The steps taken when analyzing data are data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of this study, namely language errors in the pronunciation field in the video of President Joko Widodo’s official speech on Youtube in 2019, there were pronunciation errors due to phoneme changes, omission, and addition. Errors the level of diction, namely in the use or choice of words that are not correct. Tahus, the results of this study are implemented in Indonesian language learning in junior high school class IX.

Ikhin Tone and Nasality: Autosegmental Effects

In generative phonology, tone and nasality are described as suprasegmental phonological units. This implies that their survival depends on the segments on which they are grounded. Thus, when a tone bearing unit or nasality bearing unit disappears, any of these segments also disappears. In autosegmental theory, however, tone or nasality survives after the deletion of segment to which it is attached. This phenomenon is termed ‘stability’ which is the foundation for autosegmental phonological theory. Stability is the survival of tone and nasality after the deletion of segments on which they are grounded. Tone and nasality exhibit stability in Ikhin, a North-Central Edoid language spoken in Edo State, South-South, Nigeria. Previous study on Ikhin dwells mainly on the phonetics of the language. This study, therefore, investigates phonological processes such as vowel elision, glide formation and nasalization with a view to determining the stability or otherwise of tone and nasality. This paper confirms that in Ikhin, any process that involves the removal of a tone bearing unit must relate to stability and relate to the creation of contour tones. The study further confirms that nasality remains stable even in the absence of segment to which it is linked. Based on available data, it is argued that the deletion of a Tone Bearing Unit (TBU) or a Nasality Bearing Unit (NBU) does not necessarily involve the deletion of tone or nasality. Infact, it usual does not. The study concludes that tone and nasality are independent segments. They are as independent as consonant and vowel.

On the nature of metrical phonology of Iraqi Arabic: A non-linear approach

The paper is an in-depth study of how the principles and rules of the metrical theory of phonology have found their way to apply to Iraqi Arabic words and expressions. Iraqi lexical items have amassed evidence illustrating that both foot and stress are the hub of phonological designs of parametric prominence entailed in mapping and building up word syllables. Nevertheless, this is not a free-for-all which is far beyond restrictions or exceptions. Some constraints are not imposed to deviate from the metrical norms of Iraqi words nor some exceptions are made to distort their lexical frames, but rather they are adopted to emphasize that any theory's premises are generally the same but its applicable ends are definitely different in so far as the language or the dialect in question is concerned. The paper also digs deep certain metrical phenomena taking place in Iraqi word stress patterns like the extra metrical behavior of some word syllables and segments, and cyclic and non-cyclic parameters of some morphological operations of words.

Phase-based Constraints within Match Theory

This paper argues that Match Theory (Selkirk 2011) cannot account for some types of phrasal syntax-prosody correspondence in Blackfoot (Algonquian; Frantz 2017). I focus on the verbal complex and show that the verbal complex contains phrasal syntactic structure all the way up to a CP phrase, and that it contains two distinct prosodic constituents corresponding the vP/VP and the CP, respectively. Since the verbal complex contains phrasal syntax, theories of phrasal syntax-prosody correspondences should apply. I argue that the definitions of the syntactic units which correspond to prosodic constituents must be redefined based on phases, and show how a phase-based revision of Match Theory can account for the syntax-prosody correspondence in Blackfoot verbal complexes. The result is a unified theory of the prosodic phonology of stems and phrases which is built on universal syntactic definitions. Although Match Theory is the theoretical focus of this paper, the evidence from Blackfoot implies that phrasal syntax-prosody correspondences can and should be brought 'below the word' in any theory of prosodic phonology.

Correlations Between Handshape and Movement in Sign Languages.

Sign language phonological parameters are somewhat analogous to phonemes in spoken language. Unlike phonemes, however, there is little linguistic literature arguing that these parameters interact at the sublexical level. This situation raises the question of whether such interaction in spoken language phonology is an artifact of the modality or whether sign language phonology has not been approached in a way that allows one to recognize sublexical parameter interaction. We present three studies in favor of the latter alternative: a shape‐drawing study with deaf signers from six countries, an online dictionary study of American Sign Language, and a study of selected lexical items across 34 sign languages. These studies show that, once iconicity is considered, handshape and movement parameters interact at the sublexical level. Thus, consideration of iconicity makes transparent similarities in grammar across both modalities, allowing us to maintain certain key findings of phonological theory as evidence of cognitive architecture.

SUNDANESE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN WITH INDONESIAN MOTHER LANGUAGE

Since childhood, humans acquire language acquisition. Language acquisition by a child is obtained from the immediate environment, namely the family environment and social environment. The language that a child acquires through acquisition is called the mother tongue. However, the mother tongue that a child gets is sometimes not in a single way, but it goes along with other languages because of differences in language in the family environment and language in the social environment, making a child a bilingual speaker. Based on this description, this study aims to examine the acquisition of Sundanese (L2) in a child who speaks an Indonesian mother tongue (L1). The method used is qualitative. Data collection was carried out by listening to the conversation between the MKI (research object) with the family and with other parties in their social environment. Other data collection conducted by interviewing the MKI. The collected data were analyzed using psycholinguistic, syntactic, and phonological theories and then described using a descriptive approach. The results showed that MKI has a performance in Sundanese both receptive performance and productive performance. Productive performance in the form of lexicon, phoneme pronunciation, and sentences. Keywords: language acquisition, bilingual, receptive performance, productive performance

Gemination: Weight or Length? Evidence from Rural Jordanian Arabic

The aim of the paper is to evaluate how the implementation of geminates in Rural Jordanian Arabic (RJA) differs from that of clusters and by doing so, provided evidence for a prosodic weight. Geminates are represented and viewed controversially either as prosodic length (skeletal tier) or as prosodic weight (Moraic Theory) in the current theories of phonology. In this study, I argue that the geminate-singleton contrast word-medially and word-finally is better accounted for in terms of prosodic weight, within Moraic Theory, based on moraic weight, than to be represented in terms of prosodic length as timing units. This observation is based on two pieces of evidence from RJA. The first is that consonant clusters word-finally in RJA are not permissible and are usually broken up by an epenthetic vowel, while geminate consonants are permissible. Second, the attraction of stress onto the syllable that has a geminate consonant, whether word-medially or word-finally, is consistent with the weight representation; primary stress typically falls on the rightmost bimoraic syllable. Therefore, it will be more appropriate to account for this phenomenon under Moraic Theory and to view long segments as weight-bearing, and not as prosodic length/timing units.

SUPRASEGMENTAL SOUNDS PRODUCED BY THE STUDENTS OF ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT UIN ALAUDDIN MAKASSAR

This study aims to see the extent the ability of students to pronounce English words who have studied English for many years and studied phonetics, then compare it with the pronunciation of native English speakers. The benefit of this research is that it can increase students' awareness in improving their speaking skills by trying to find new strategies to support their skill improvement. Phonetic and phonology theory is used as concept of this study. The research uses descriptive qualitative method with data collection techniques through recording to retrieve the audio of the samples and native English speaker, then insert it into the gold wave editor to then see the high and low amplitude of the sound. This study focuses on suprasegmental sound especially stress and intonation.The findings of this study showed two things i.e. first, for the stress level, the English students pronounced the words slower and clearer and they also pauses within two words more frequently than the English native speaker and it indicates that the word is stressed with primary or secondary stress. In contrast, the native English speaker pronounced the English words faster than between a word and the coming word and more frequently than the English student. And it indicates that the word is stressed with unstressed (weak stress). Second, the difference of the intonation contour The English native speaker pronounces some words and juncture within two words more frequently, so the intonation contours of her utterances are more falling than rising. On the other hand, English students pronounce the words slower, clearer and gave pause within two words, consequently the amplitude of the words were higher and at the result the rising intonation contour more than falling intonation contour.

Tibetan Phonology

The germ of Tibetan phonology appeares first in the Sum cu pa composed by Thon mi sambhoṭa (7th century). At the end of the Sum cu pa, Thon mi states that the pronunciation of each syllable (/ka/, /ki/, /ku/, /ke/ etc.) should be learned in accordance with the method of pronouncing phonemes (nga ro, *svara) in the correct position of articulation. However, since Thon mi did not give a detailed explanation of Tibetan phonology in his Sum cu pa, Tibetan grammarians in later periods had to develop a theory of pronunciation of their language with the help of their knowledge of Sanskrit phonology. Among them, Si tu paṇ chen (1699/1700–1774) gives an explanation of Tibetan phonology in his Si tu’i ’grel chen on the basis of the Sanskrit phonology described in Candragomin’s Varṇasūtra. What emerges from Si tu’s explanation is the development of phonological theory that is characteristic to Tibetan but not found in Sanskrit. In addition, he reveals both the applicability of Sanskrit phonology to Tibetan and the limitations of its application. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the major characteristics of Tibetan phonology by examining Si tu’s explanation based on the Varṇasūtra and comparing it with the explanations given by other Tibetan grammarians.

Эволюция фонологической теории Д. Джоунза в современной английской фонологии

The paper aims to reveal continuity of D. Jones’s phonological theory provisions in development of theoretical base of the modern English phonetics. Scientific originality of the study lies in the fact that the researchers for the first time provide a comprehensive analysis of D. Jones’s phonological views which were further developed in the British phonologists’ works. The research findings are as follows: the authors identify the core principles of the phonetic system functioning and development discovered by D. Jones and clarified in his followers’ works.

Correlation of internal strain and size with electrical and magnetic properties of Ce3+-doped manganese ferrimagnetic nanoparticles

In the present work we made an attempt to found the correlation between the internal strain and size effect on the structural electrical and magnetic properties of influence of Ce3+-doped manganese ferrite nanoparticles. The XRD results showed that the Ce3+-doped Mn2+ ferrite nanoparticles exhibit spinel cubic structure with an average crystallite size varying from 15 to 10 nm and it was calculated by using Williamson–Hall (W–H) and Scherrer method. The intrinsic strain is estimated from the XRD peak broadening analysis. The TEM micrographs confirm the spherical nature of the samples and particle sizes vary from 15 to 6 nm. Further the particle size decreases with increasing ce3+ content as a result this internal strain increases. The dielectric constant increases with increase in the frequency; this phenomenon is explained on the basis of Koop’s phonological theory. The AC conductivity was explained by hopping mechanism. The temperature-dependent susceptibility measured at 100 Oe and the irreversibility temperature vary with Ce3+ concentration. The hysteresis curves of all samples reveal the ferromagnetic behavior. This study allowed us to understand potentiality of cerium-doped Manganese ferrite nanoparticles in current temporary magnetic technology.

An acoustic study of quasi-phonemic vowels in Ampenan Sasak

ABSTRACTIn a variety of Sasak called Ampenan Sasak in this paper, traditional documentation and analytical methods based on auditory perception reveal allophonic patterns in alternations of height among mid-vowels. High mid-vowels occur in final syllables ending in [ʔ] or no-coda (e.g. [tokoʔ] ‘fish species native to Lombok’) while low mid-vowels occur in final syllables ending in all other consonants (e.g. [tɔkɔl] ‘to sit’). However, words deviate from these patterns in several minimal pairs (e.g. [bəɾəmbok] ‘to discuss’ and [bəɾəmbɔk] ‘to breathe’) and in some borrowings (e.g. [agostos] ‘August’), suggesting a quasi-phonemic status for back mid-vowels; they behave like both phonemes and allophones. This study analyzes the phonetic properties of mid-vowels through an acoustic analysis of the F1 and F2 of 2,448 vowel tokens. Results suggest that mid-vowels are largely predictable among non-borrowed vocabulary. In final syllables, syllable openness serves as a predictor for the height of mid-vowels. In pre-final syllables, syllable openness has no effect on the height of the vowel. Rather, the height of pre-final mid-vowels is predictable based on the height of the final-syllable vowel. In consideration of both elicitation and acoustic evidence, this paper adopts a descriptive approach by stating that Ampenan Sasak back mid-vowels are largely predictable, with some exceptions. Further, the paper questions whether all sounds must be identified as a ‘phoneme’ or an ‘allophone’ and argues that quasi-phonemic segments are a valuable intermediate descriptor for both phonological theory and language documentation.