Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-7tdvq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-08T04:30:59.591Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Experimental evidence for English syllabification and syllable structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows
Affiliation:
Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Most phonologists regard the syllable as a unit of language. In recent years, partly in reaction to Chomsky's and Halle's neglect of it in The sound pattern of English, much work has been done to incorporate the syllable into phonological theory (Anderson & Jones, 1974; Bailey, 1978; Hoard, 1971; Hooper, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978; Kahn, 1976; Pulgram, 1970; Rudes, 1977; Vennemann, 1972).

Syllable theories have been based on evidence from phonetics, phonological processes, prosody, language change, child language acquisition, and language universals. The purpose of this experimental study is (a) to contribute empirical evidence about the nature of the syllable from native speakers' actual syllabifications of words and (b) to determine how this evidence reflects on the syllable theories already proposed.

Syllable studies have focused on two major questions: (1) what is the structure of the syllable and (2) how are words divided into syllables (syllabified). These questions are obviously related, and the answers to each have implications for the other. This study was designed to elicit data directly addressing both questions.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Linguistics , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , September 1981 , pp. 309 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, J. & Jones, C. (1974). Three theses concerning phonological representation. JL 10. 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bailey, C.-J. N. (1978). Gradience in English syllabication and a revised concept of unmarked syllabization. Indiana University Linguistics Club.Google Scholar
Hoard, J. (1971). Aspiration, tenseness, and syllabification in English. Lg 47. 133–140.Google Scholar
Hooper, J. (1972). The syllable in phonological theory. Lg 48. 525–540.Google Scholar
Hooper, J. (1974). Aspects of Natural Generative Phonology. Indiana University Linguistics Club.Google Scholar
Hooper, J. (1976). Introduction to natural generative phonology. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hooper, J. (1978). Constraints on schwa-deletion in English. In Fisiak, J. (ed.), Recent developments in historical phonology. Berlin: DeGruyter. 183–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahn, D. (1976). Syllable-based generalizations in English phonology. Indiana University Linguistics Club.Google Scholar
Kurylowicz, J. (1948). Contribution à Ia theorie de Ia syllabe. BPTJ 8. 80–114.Google Scholar
Nie, N., Hull, C. H., Jenkins, J., Steinbrenner, K., Bent, D. H. (1975). Statistical package for the social sciences. New York: McGraw Hill.Google Scholar
Pulgram, E. (1970). Syllable, word, nexus, cursus. Janua Linguarum, series minor 81. Mouton: The HagueMouton.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rudes, B. (1977). Another look at syllable structure. Indiana University Linguistics Club.Google Scholar
Vennemann, T. (1972). On the theory of syllabic phonology. LBer 18. 1–18.Google Scholar