Abstract Phonology in a Concrete Model: Cognitive Linguistics and the Morphology-Phonology Interface

by Tore Nesset

Overview

This book offers a welcome contribution to phonology and morphology, which have been understudied in cognitive linguistics. A detailed account of Russian verbs illustrates the efficacy of Cognitive Grammar as an insightful approach to abstract phonology that uses a restricted set of cognitively motivated theoretical constructs. The book is relevant for phonologists, morphologists, Slavists and cognitive linguists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783110208368
Publisher:	De Gruyter Mouton
Publication date:	09/25/2008
Series:	Cognitive Linguistics Research [CLR] Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Tore Nesset, University of Tromsø, Norway.

Table of Contents

Preface v Note on transliteration and transcription xi Chapter 1 To cut a long story short 1
1.1 The morphology-phonology interface in Cognitive Grammar 1
1.2 The meaning of alternations and the truncation-softening conspiracy 4
1.3 Telling two stories: The structure of the book 6 Chapter 2 Cognitive grammar and the cognitive linguistics family 9
2.1 Cognitive linguistics and Cognitive Grammar 9
2.2 The content requirement and category networks 11
2.3 Schema interaction 14
2.4 Schemas vs. rules and constraints 16
2.5 Second-order schemas: Source- vs. product-oriented generalizations 18
2.6 Parts and wholes: The integration relation 21
2.7 Other members of the cognitive linguistics family 24
2.7.1 The nature of categories: Prototype theory 24
2.7.2 Language structure and language use: The usage-based model 25
2.7.3 Grammatical constructions: Construction grammar 26
2.7.4 Mappings across domains: Metaphors and conceptual integration 27
2.8 Conclusion: A cognitive linguist's toolbox 28 Chapter 3 A cognitive approach to phonology 31
3.1 Phonemes and allophones 31
3.2 Phoneme systems 34
3.3 Features and feature geometry 36
3.4 Abstractness: Schemas instead of rules 40
3.5 Schema interaction in phonology 42
3.6 Phonological opacity 44
3.7 Neutralization: (De)voicing of obstruents 46
3.8 Neutralization: Palatalization 48
3.9 Neutralization: Vowels in unstressed syllables 51
3.10 Transcription in the rest of the book 53
3.11 Conclusion 54 Chapter 4 A cognitive approach to morphology 55
4.1 Stem, root, suffix and ending as schemas 55
4.2 Inflectional paradigm andparadigm structure 58
4.3 Inflection class 62
4.4 Segmentation 64
4.5 Verb inventory 65
4.6 The truncation alternation 68
4.7 The softening alternation 70
4.8 Summarizing this chapter 75 Chapter 5 Alternations in Cognitive Grammar: The truncation alternation and the one-stem/two-stem controversy 77
5.1 Alternations in Cognitive Grammar 78
5.1.1 Relating the alternants 78
5.1.2 Conditioning environment 83
5.1.3 Alternations in the language system as a whole 85
5.1.4 Summarizing the theory 88
5.2 Form-based generalizations: The one-stem system 89
5.3 Form-based generalizations in Cognitive Grammar 92
5.4 Synthesis: Incorporating the meaning-based generalizations of the two-stem system 94
5.5 Further evidence: The past passive participle 100
5.6 A special case: The [uj similar ava] alternation 103
5.7 Conclusion 109 Chapter 6 Neutralization and phonology-morphology interaction: Exceptional infinitive 111
6.1 Data and descriptive generalizations 111
6.2 Neutralization and morphology-phonology interaction: Stems in non-dorsal obstruents 117
6.3 Merger and segmentation: Stems in dorsal plosives 121
6.4 Conclusion 125 Chapter 7 Abstractness and alternatives to rule ordering and underlying representations: Exceptional past tense 127
7.1 Non-suffixed verbs: Data and descriptive generalizations 128
7.2 More evidence: Nu-drop verbs 133
7.3 A rule-based approach 137
7.4 The nesti pattern and rule ordering 139
7.5 The vesti pattern and underlying representations 142
7.6 Theoretical implications: Restrictiveness 144
7.7 The krast' pattern and ongoing language change 146
7.8 Conclusion 152 Chapter 8 Opacity and product-oriented generalizations: Exceptional imperative 155
8.1 Imperatives and opacity 155
8.2 Opaque overapplication in Cognitive Grammar 159
8.3 Opaque underapplication in Cognitive Grammar 161
8.4 Imperatives and product-oriented generalizations 165
8.5 Conclusion 168 Chapter 9 Palatalization and lenition: The softening alternation 169
9.1 Plain softening: Palatalization 169
9.2 Transitive softening: Palatalization 173
9.3 Transitive softening: Lenition 180
9.4 Conclusion 185 Chapter 10 Opacity and non-modularity: Conditioning the softening alternation 187
10.1 Data and descriptive generalizations 187
10.2 Opacity and the softening alternation 193
10.3 Non-modularity and paradigm structure - the past passive participle 200
10.4 Non-modularity and paradigm structure - the present tense participles 206
10.5 Non-modularity and segment inventory 209
10.6 Conclusion 214 Chapter 11 The meaning of alternations: The truncation-softening conspiracy 215
11.1 The meaning of the truncation and softening alternations 215
11.2 Segmentation, product-oriented generalizations and a semiotic approach to grammar 220
11.3 Conclusion 223 Chapter 12 Conclusion: Looking back ... and ahead 225
12.1 The morphology-phonology interface in Cognitive Grammar 225
12.2 Meaning and the truncation and softening alternations 229
12.3 Conclusion: Endings and beginnings 233 References 235 Author index 247 Subject index 249