1st Edition

Vowel Reduction in Optimality Theory

By Katherine Crosswhite Copyright 2002
    334 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book examines the phenomenon of vowel reduction, in which two or more underlying vowel qualities are neutralized in unstressed position.

    1 Introduction and Backgrounds 2 Motivating Reduction: The Constraint Set 3 Case Study: Russian Vowel Reduction 4 Phonetic Motivation v. Phonetic Determinism 5 Factorial Typology 6 Contextual Blocking of Vowel Reduction 7 Moraicity, Reduction, and Stress-Timing 8 Previous Approaches to Vowel Reduction Appendix A: Attested Reduction Patterns, Alphabetically by Language Appendix B: Predicted Reduction Patterns for 5- and 7-Vowel Systems Notes References Index

    Biography

    Kathryn Crosswhite teaches at the University of Rochester.