Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains ix, 103 p. Bibliography: p. 56-63.

The primary purpose of this study is to specify the structural characteristics of the phonological representations of Spokane lexemes which are relevant for the rules of the morphology and the rules of the phonology. In order to reveal the complexity of the issue of structure, it is necessary to examine three sets of data: non-compound forms, compound forms, and structurally reanalyzed forms. These data provide evidence that the phonological representation of each lexeme includes specifications for both form and structure. Framed within the Lexeme-Morpheme Base Morphology of Beard (1987, 1993, 1995), this study establishes that certain morphological spelling operations necessarily refer to a specific sub-string of the phonological representation which cannot be isolated phonologically. The phonological representations of Spokane lexemes are, therefore, analyzed as composite structures. As such, the phonological representations of non-compounds possess (at least potentially) complex morphological structure which includes the notions Root and Stem, while those of compounds possess additional specifications for structure based on the fact that each comprises two distinct Stems. Conversely, the structurally reanalyzed forms provide evidence that historically complex structure has been reduced to simplex form. Structurally reanalyzed forms possess morphological structures which are identical to that of the non-compound but which are distinct from that of their historically related forms. This study also establishes that the structural characteristics of a lexeme’s phonological representation remain salient for the phonology. It is demonstrated that the domains of the phonological representation to which the phonology attends are isomorphic with the domains of the phonological representation which emerge from the Morphological Spelling component (at least at the lowest level of structure). I utilize the facts of primary stress assignment, as well as the facts of retraction and nasal shift, to provide evidence for such phonological structures and. further, to specify the parameters of primary stress assignment in Spokane. / Graduate

The aim of this thesis is a historico-comparative study of Zambian Plateau Tonga (Guthrie's M 64) and seven related lects (Valley, Toka, Ila, Lenje, Soli, Subiya and Totela). Some previous studies have treated Subiya and Totela as a distinct subfamily of Bantu (Guthrie's K 40), while others agree in attaching it to M 60; SI has also been associated with Lunda (Guthrie's L 51) and Luvale (Guthrie's K 14). The present study is based on wordlists of some 650 items Including Swadesh's 200-wordlist of basic vocabulary collected for each of the lects during a five-month field trip to Zambia in 1987. The study examines this data both synchronically (Chapter 2) and diachronically, attempting to reconstruct an inventory of Proto-Tonga consonant and vowel phonemes (Chapters 3) and relating this to Guthrie's Proto-Bantu (Chapter 5). Hierachically two broad subdivisions of the Tonga lects can be made Subiya and Totela together form one branch of Tonga as evidenced by certain shared innovations. The other branch groups together Plateau, Valley, Toka, Ila, Lenje and Soli on the basis of another set of phonological developments and the six lects are collectively referred to as Core Tonga. However, this division cannot be rigidly adhered to because Subiya and Totela to some extent participate in innovations affecting one or more members of the core group. It cannot be decided at the moment whether Sb and Tt together with the core lects form one distinct subfamily of Bantu or whether Sb and Tt form a different subfamily with some other lects not studied here. (Chapter 4). Some of the innovations link neighbouring lects and point to diffusion of phonological features across a geographical continuum. This convergence is further illuminated by the discussion of sociolinguistic factors in Chapter 6.

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Recent progress in psycholinguistic research on written Chinese allows us to develop a new approach to investigate the Chinese reading acquisition process. We hypothesized that Chinese children, much like children learning an alphabetic script, do not simply learn written words by rote. As they are taught words to be learned by rote, they develop an implicit understanding of the formal and functional characteristics of written Chinese. The formal characteristics refer to the graphic structure and the positioning of the stroke-patterns, and the functional characteristics refer to the semantic and phonological information conveyed in the stroke-patterns. The studies reported were designed to investigate the nature of children's learning of written Chinese. In two series of studies, a total of 236 children from Hong Kong, aged four to nine, created and decoded novel Chinese compound words. Results showed that young Chinese children attended to both the formal and functional constraints in reading and writing tasks. In the judging task, 4-year-olds were able to identify the type of orthographic elements - the stroke-patterns, but they could not place them in legitimate positions. The 6-years-olds were able to refer both to the position and the correct type of orthographic elements in differentiating pseudowords from nonwords. In the writing and reading tasks, four and five-year-olds were unable to utilize the semantic radicals to represent meaning, nor could they use the phonological components for pronunciation; six-year-olds could use the semantic radicals to represent meaning and only nine-year-olds could both use semantic radicals correctly and systematically referred to the phonological components for pronunciation. A significant age difference was found in all the experiments. The studies provide strong evidence that learning compound words in Chinese is not a simple matter of memorizing but involves the understanding of formal and functional constraints in the script. A possible application of these findings lies in the new direction offered for reading instruction where the non-generative, rote view of learning to read and write in Chinese can be safely abandoned.

M.A. (Afrikaans) / The phenomenon of juncture has been observed and explained by various linguists. Bloch and Trager (1942), for example, refers to juncture as "(p)henomena relating to the way in which sounds are joined together". The study of juncture may therefore be viewed as the study of the phonological phenomena where two structural units of language are joined together. In studying the extensive literature on the subject, it was found that juncture is explained within different theoretical frameworks by different linguistic schools. To design an adequate framework for the description of this phenomenon in Afrikaans, an eclectic approach was followed. This theoretical framework was deemed valid, if the phenomenon of juncture could be predicted by formal rules to cover as wide a range as possible. The structuralists' approach of treating juncture as a phoneme was not utilised, as they focus on grammatical considerations to determine juncture. However, their use of either segmental or supra segmental phonological features was adopted. The Transformational Generative Phonology devised formal procedures for the description of juncture, which were deemed adequate especially for the distinction between morpheme and word boundaries. Rules from the morphological component, and the function of the syllable, developed by the Natural Generative Phonology, were also exploited in the present study. The field of study for the Afrikaans language was viewed as the regular, predictable, change of sound which takes place between two consecutive structural units of meaning, The purpose of the present study was to research the phenomenon of juncture over as wide a terrain as possible and to integrate diverse phenomena into one formal description. In reviewing studies done on this phenomenon for the Afrikaans language, it was found that the description, in some cases, was inadequate. It also came to light that certain terrain had not been covered. Where possible, the adequacy of existing descriptions was acknowledged and utilised. In some cases, adaptions were made, for example with regard to assimilation, gemination, the variation between b/p, d/t, v/f and x/g, and the formation of plurals and diminutives. In other instances, new rules had to be formulated to accurately predict the occurrence of juncture, for example the variation between /t/ - /s/, /d/ - /s/ and /k - /s/ in words of Greek or Roman original.

In the last few years there has been a steadily growing interest in linguistic science. As a result, more and more of the languages of the world are coming within the range of linguistic scrutiny. This interest is increasingly manifested in Philippine linguistics as evidenced by the number of languages and dialects of the country that have already been and are being explored. Some Philippine languages have been extensively investigated, while others have been insufficiently explored. Linguistic investigation of Tausug (which is the native language of the investigator) is urgently needed. Except for the work entitled "The Phonemes of Tausug" by Seymour and Lois Ashley of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), no other linguistic studies of the language have been done. In view of the inadequacy, this present work on a synchronic descriptive analysis of Tausug phonology is here made available. The purpose of this study is to give a sufficiently comprehensive description of the phonological phenomena of Tausug, with the end in view of providing basic explanations concerning the phonological system of the language which should be useful to those interested in Tausug linguistics. It is also hoped that the analysis will be of some pedagogical significance in teaching a second language to native speakers of Tausug and in providing a theoretical foundation for future modifications and innovations in the Tausug orthographical system. In the main, the phonological analysis of Tausug centers on the dialect of Siasi town proper (STP), of which the investigator is a native speaker. Whenever possible, however, discussions of the dialectal varieties are included. An attempt is also made to provide for general categories valid for all dialects. As suggested in the title, 'The Phonology of Tausug: A Descriptive Analysis’, the method of approach to the study of the sounds of the language is descriptive. This is made possible by means of the physiological approach, and primarily the articulatory technique. Using the speech organs as a familiar frame of reference, the phonetic raw material of the language is analyzed and described first. Phonological analysis, however, goes beyond the phonetic level. The ultimate aim is to establish the phonemic system of the language, hence, the need for the classification of the phonetic raw material into functional units, i.e., the phonemes. Certain fundamental criteria such as phonetic similarity, complementary distribution, pattern congruity, and identity of function are observed in the phonemic classification. With the use of the contrasting pairs (minimal pairs, which differ only in one feature or phoneme), the establishment of the identity of each of the phonemes of Tausug is further strengthened. To complete the analysis of Tausug phonology, brief discussions of the suprasegmental features and the morphophonemics of the language are included. Although thoroughness and accuracy has been aimed at, the analysis is far from being exhaustive or complete. Completeness in any linguistic investigation is unattainable as long as language keeps on changing and knowledge of linguistic science keeps on advancing. And with the dearth to date of linguistic studies of the Tausug language, this present analysis of the phonological structure of the language permits no more than tentative conclusions. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate

The title "A Synchronic Analysis of Tagalog Phonemes" as defined in the introduction, is the object of this study. It attempts to give a purely synchronic description of the phonemic system of the Tagalog language as spoken by the present investigator who has made herself the informant for this investigation. The purpose is to shape this material into the form of a useful introduction and a sound orientation for students of general linguistics, or linguists interested in the Philippine national language. The phonemes of Tagalog are analyzed in terms of the formula:* [formula omitted] Unit refers to the phoneme. There are 21 segmental phonemes in Tagalog. They are classified and their patterns are established on the basis of the distinctive features by which they stand in contrast with each other. Among consonants there are two main dimensions of phonemic contrast: point of articulation and manner of articulation. A further contrast of voice versus breath exists in the stop phonemes only. The main distinctive features of Tagalog vowels involve two-dimensional contrasts in height and advancement of the tongue. There are other, subsidiary, features like lip-rounding, tenseness and laxness of the tongue, length, etc. Such contrasts are here represented by schematic diagrams: *Pike, Unit (U) = Contrast (C), Variation (V) and Distribution (D). This information i n capsule was explained by Prof. R. Roe of the SIL in a seminar at the University of the Philippines in 1964. [formula omitted] (i) Tagalog Consonant Pattern [formula omitted] (ii) Tagalog Vowel Pattern These phonemes have allophones which are either in complementary distribution or in free variation. The variations of phonemes within given morphemes are here considered to be morphophonemic alternations. The basic syllable structures of Tagalog are CV and CVC, e.g. tubig/túbig/’water’. Tagalog words represented orthographically with a final vowel may end with either /?/ or /h/ which is not reflected in the writing system. The two are in contrastive distribution? Thus, bata /báta?/'child' vs. bata /bátah/’bathrobe’. Consonant clusters occur in all positions. Initial clusters may be summarized in the following formula: C=Consonant, C₁C₂=the first and second C, C₂=s 1 r w y, C₁=t if C₂=s, C₁=p b k g if C₂=1, C₁=p b t d k g if C₂=r, C₁=any C except w y if C₂ =w or y These clusters may be illustrated in the following examples: tsa/tsah/'tea', klase /kláseh/'class’, diyan /dyan/'there', kwento /kwéntoh/'story', etc. Suprasegmentally, Tagalog has three kinds of stress: primary /´/, secondary /ˋ/ and weak (unmarked); three levels of pitch: /1/, /2/ and /3/, reading from low to high; and two terminal junctures: "single bar" /|/ and "rising” juncture /↑/. Stress plays an important role in Tagalog and it is a distinctive phenomenon which conveys meaning. Stress is correlated with length. The following pairs of words are distinguished only by stress or length: baga/bá:ga?/'lungs’ and baga/bá:gah/’ember' vs. baga/bagá:?/ 'abscess' and baga/bagá:h/'interrogative marker'. The scope of this study does not include a detailed presentation and analysis of Tagalog suprasegmental features. Many interesting problems concerning the suprasegmental phenomena remain unsolved. The solution to these problems is left for later study. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate

The present thesis presents the results of a preliminary investigation of the phonology of contemporary literary Ukrainian (CLU). Based on a morphological analysis of the material contained in H. Holoskevyč, Pravopysnyrj slovnyk, it describes the orthoepic standard set forth in O. Synjavs'kyj, Normy ukrajins'koji literaturnoji movy (with due consideration given to the current Soviet norms) within the framework of the theory of phonology formulated by Morris Halle (The Sound Pattern of Russian). Chapter II contains the descriptive statements under three headings: Segments and Boundaries, Morpheme Structure Rules, and Phonological Rules. The segments are defined in terms of distinctive features as follows: (Table omitted). Chapter III presents a discussion of the individual morphonemes and boundaries. Among the problems discussed are: the morphonemic representation of geminates and of distinctively sharped labial and palatal consonants: the distribution of sharped and plain consonants before /i/ in different varieties of CLU; the distribution of /i/ and /y/ word initially and after /j/; earlier attempts to reduce the inventory of vowel phonemes to five; the synchronic and diachronic status of the feature tense vs. lax; the status of the marginal phonemes /f/, /Ʒ/, /ƺ/, /ǯ/, /g/. Chapter IV surveys and discusses the material on which the morpheme structure rules are based and offers a few incidental comments on problems connected with their formulation. Chapter V primarily illustrates the operation of the phonological rules and discusses their order. A concluding section contains a brief discussion of the optional phonological rules which describe deviations from Synjavs'kyj’s Normy. / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

This dissertation is a comprehensive description of the structure of the prosody of Singapore English. Using the Prosodic Hierarchy as a framework, each layer of the structure of Singapore English is described in detail. The smallest level described in this dissertation is the syllable, the domain in which the majority of segmental processes occur in Singapore English. The second level is the prosodic word domain, where there is a high tone anchored to the final syllable and a low tone anchored to the left edge, and these tones are shown in this dissertation to be recursive. These tones are independent of stress, which is argued to not exist in Singapore English. The third level is the intonational phrase, where the final syllable carries the boundary tone of the entire intonational phrase, affecting the tones of final particles. There is also a phrase-initial boost on the first prosodic word of the intonational phrase. Markedly absent is any intermediate phrase or domain between the word and intonational phrase, which is argued to not exist in this dissertation. The dissertation ends with a look at the possible origins of the prosody of Singapore English and a consideration of the prosodic systems which may have influenced its development.