Neutralization

Provides in-depth, nuanced and critical analyses of many theoretical approaches to neutralization in phonology.

Daniel Silverman (Author)

9780521196710, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 August 2012

238 pages, 7 b/w illus. 10 tables
22.4 x 14.5 x 1.5 cm, 0.44 kg

'A detailed and critical exploration of neutralization that will be a valuable resource for both beginning and advanced scholars, regardless of theoretical orientation.' Beth Hume, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

The function of language is to transmit information from speakers to listeners. This book investigates an aspect of linguistic sound patterning that has traditionally been assumed to interfere with this function – neutralization, a conditioned limitation on the distribution of a language's contrastive values. The book provides in-depth, nuanced and critical analyses of many theoretical approaches to neutralization in phonology and argues for a strictly functional characterization of the term: neutralizing alternations are only function-negative to the extent that they derive homophones, and most surprisingly, neutralization is often function-positive, by serving as an aid to parsing. Daniel Silverman encourages the reader to challenge received notions by carefully considering these functional consequences of neutralization. The book includes a glossary, discussion points and lists of further reading to help advanced phonology students consolidate the main ideas and findings on neutralization.

1. The rhyme and the reason of neutralization
Part I. Rhyme
Section 1. Observation and Description: 2. Topology
3. Taxonomy
4. Typology
Section 2. False Positives: 5. Partial phonemic overlap
6. Near-neutralization
Section 3. Explanation: 7. Ease of production
8. Ease of perception
9. Phonetic misperception
10. Semantic misperception: early proposals
11. Semantic misperception: recent proposals
Section 4. Exemplification: 12. Case study
13. Domains of application
14. Distinctions are drawn that matter
Part II. Reason: 15. Cement
16. Boundary signals
17. Prosodies
18. Transitional probabilities
19. The power of Babelese.

Subject Areas: Phonetics, phonology [CFH]