TY - JOUR
T1 - Segmental alternations in the sunwari verb stem
T2 - A case for the feature [front]1
AU - Genetti, Carol
N1 - Funding Information:
1. Funds for this study were provided by the National Science Foundation, grant #BNS-8313502, Scott DeLancey, PI. The data given here is primarily my own, although Scott DeLancey and Leslie Opp have graciously contributed materials from their field notes, as well as insightful comments and advice. Ú am also indebted to Diana Archangeli, Douglas Pulleyblank, Edwin Pulleyblank, and Moira Yip for detailed comments and suggestions. All errors in the work are exclusively my own. Correspondence address: Department of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
PY - 1992/3/1
Y1 - 1992/3/1
N2 - In the Sunwari verb stem there are a number of segmental alternations that specifically involve the interaction of front vowels and coronal consonants. This paper discusses two possible analyses of these alternations, one using a traditional feature inventory in which the front/back distinction is marked by the feature [back] positioned under the dorsal node, and one using an inventory that replaces [back] with the coronal feature [front]. It is shown that the analysis with the traditional feature inventory fails in a number of respects, most conspicuously in requiring a simultaneous delinking of features from two unrelated branches of the hierarchy in order to properly derive high front vowels from coronal stops and nasals. The alternative analysis with [front] is by contrast simple and insightful. Use of the feature [front] also provides for a perspicuous characterization of constraints that holdthroughout the phonology of Sunwari.
AB - In the Sunwari verb stem there are a number of segmental alternations that specifically involve the interaction of front vowels and coronal consonants. This paper discusses two possible analyses of these alternations, one using a traditional feature inventory in which the front/back distinction is marked by the feature [back] positioned under the dorsal node, and one using an inventory that replaces [back] with the coronal feature [front]. It is shown that the analysis with the traditional feature inventory fails in a number of respects, most conspicuously in requiring a simultaneous delinking of features from two unrelated branches of the hierarchy in order to properly derive high front vowels from coronal stops and nasals. The alternative analysis with [front] is by contrast simple and insightful. Use of the feature [front] also provides for a perspicuous characterization of constraints that holdthroughout the phonology of Sunwari.
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U2 - 10.1515/ling.1992.30.2.319
DO - 10.1515/ling.1992.30.2.319
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:30244471852
SN - 0024-3949
VL - 30
SP - 319
EP - 358
JO - Linguistics
JF - Linguistics
IS - 2
ER -