Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

An experiment was conducted to investigate the linguistic concept of a hierarchy of syllable structures. Subjects were asked to identify different types of consonant clusters in initial, medial, and final positions in words. Little psycholinguistic evidence was discovered to support the hierarchical ordering described in the linguistic literature. However, the results of this experiment must be classified as tentative rather than definitive. (Author/FWB)

This paper analyses the syllable within the framework of phonology. The syllable is a central prosodic feature in phonology and phonological processes occur within it. However, languages differ with respect to phonotactic constraints that control their syllable structure. Therefore, this paper considers Kikamba language to have unique principles of syllabification that need to be explored. This paper applies the theory of Generative CV-phonology model that was built upon Kahn's (1976) and (Clements & Keyser, 1983). The study focused on the syllable structure of Kikamba Nouns. The study employed descriptive research design. A sample size of 50 participants was used as respondents in the study. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. The data was collected through natural observation and interviews. The data was analyzed qualitatively. The study found that the syllable structure of Kikamba nouns has four syllable structures, that is, CV, V, CV and CCV. This study makes significant contribution to theoretical studies of phonetics and phonology by exploring how the phonotactic constraints in Kikamba language lead to organization of words.

This paper analyses the syllable within the framework of phonology. The syllable is a central prosodic feature in phonology and phonological processes occur within it. However, languages differ with respect to phonotactic constraints that control their syllable structure. Therefore, this paper considers Kikamba language to have unique principles of syllabification that need to be explored. This paper applies the theory of Generative CV-phonology model that was built upon Kahn's (1976) and (Clements & Keyser, 1983). The study focused on the syllable structure of Kikamba Nouns. The study employed descriptive research design. A sample size of 50 participants was used as respondents in the study. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. The data was collected through natural observation and interviews. The data was analyzed qualitatively. The study found that the syllable structure of Kikamba nouns has four syllable structures, that is, CV, V, CV and CCV. This study makes significant contribution to theoretical studies of phonetics and phonology by exploring how the phonotactic constraints in Kikamba language lead to organization of words.

This paper aims at investigating some phonological aspects of syllable structure in Rumthawi Arabic, a Levantine variety spoken in the northern region of Jordan. It basically sheds light on the OT constraint interaction that determines the surfacing onsets and codas of syllables in this dialect. The scope of this paper is more specifically confined to examining the optimal candidates that surface when the definite article morpheme is prefixed. It thus proves that OT constraints in RA interact in an interestingly distinctive way that triggers divergence and sometimes convergence with other dialects due to the parametrical ranking of these constraints in this dialect unlike some other dialects. It is hoped that this humble endeavor will give insight to many interested researchers to deeply investigate various phonological aspects of this dialect.

Research assumptions and procedures of two studies of interlanguage (IL) phonology are examined and criticized. In both studies, syllable structure is used as a primary variable, but opposing claims are made about "open" and "closed" IL syllable structure preference. It is argues that: (1) neither IL study considers sufficiently the phonetic structure of the native language and target language; and (2) that syllable structure analyses based on broad categories such as "open" and "closed" are inadequately equipped for insightful IL investigation. It is recommended that in future research, less emphasis be placed on verification of second language learning processes and constraints and more emphasis be placed on reexamining, identifying, and describing the native, target, and interlanguage structures that previous researchers have assumed to be implicated in those processes and constraints. A brief bibliography is included. (Author/MSE)

Research assumptions and procedures of two studies of interlanguage (IL) phonology are examined and criticized. In both studies, syllable structure is used as a primary variable, but opposing claims are made about "open" and "closed" IL syllable structure preference. It is argues that: (1) neither IL study considers sufficiently the phonetic structure of the native language and target language; and (2) that syllable structure analyses based on broad categories such as "open" and "closed" are inadequately equipped for insightful IL investigation. It is recommended that in future research, less emphasis be placed on verification of second language learning processes and constraints and more emphasis be placed on reexamining, identifying, and describing the native, target, and interlanguage structures that previous researchers have assumed to be implicated in those processes and constraints. A brief bibliography is included. (Author/MSE)

A study of Akkadian syllable structure.

To determine what psycholinguistic evidence (or external evidence) such as slips of the tongue, monosyllabic word blends, and novel word games reveals about syllable structure, this study focused on psycholinguistic research on the English and German syllable. English and German provide a good testing ground for evaluation of external evidence because much external evidence has been interpreted as revealing the internal organization of the syllable for both languages. It is concluded that psycholinguistic evidence does not reveal syllable structure, but rather how the linguistic processor organizes syllable-internal segments. Contains 39 references. (MSE)

A structural analysis provides new evidence concerning the internal structure of the syllable in Wolof, a West African language, through examination of the secret code called Kall, spoken mainly in Senegal's Ceneba area. It is proposed that Kall is better described as involving primarily a reduplication of the prosodic word. The first section examines Wolof syllable structure, detailing the surface syllable types, the representation of complex segments, and the syllabification principles of the language. The second section describes the different types of Kall and the phonological and morphological processes taking place. It also provides a prosodic analysis of the secret code, stressing the role of the syllable and the phonological word. The importance of secret code varieties in confirming the internal structure of the syllable in Wolof is shown. In particular, independently phonological rules (such as schwa insertion, glottal stop insertion and degemination) are shown to operate in the building or rebuilding of syllables of the secret code. (MSE)

A structural analysis provides new evidence concerning the internal structure of the syllable in Wolof, a West African language, through examination of the secret code called Kall, spoken mainly in Senegal's Ceneba area. It is proposed that Kall is better described as involving primarily a reduplication of the prosodic word. The first section examines Wolof syllable structure, detailing the surface syllable types, the representation of complex segments, and the syllabification principles of the language. The second section describes the different types of Kall and the phonological and morphological processes taking place. It also provides a prosodic analysis of the secret code, stressing the role of the syllable and the phonological word. The importance of secret code varieties in confirming the internal structure of the syllable in Wolof is shown. In particular, independently phonological rules (such as schwa insertion, glottal stop insertion and degemination) are shown to operate in the building or rebuilding of syllables of the secret code. (MSE)

The syllable is the phonological element that plays a vital role in the formation of the word. A complete and standard syllable consists of the Onset, Nucleus, and Coda, but at the same time, the Onset or Coda part of the syllable can also fall down. No syllable can be constructed without Nucleus and vowel sounds. The vowel in the syllable structure has as much value as the syllable has in the word formation. These vowels play a fundamental role in the syllable’s distribution and types. This article explores the intricate structure and various types of syllables found in the Pashto language, primarily spoken in Afghanistan. Syllables play a fundamental role in linguistic analysis, as they constitute the building blocks of words and affect the rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns in speech. The findings of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the Pashto language's syllable structure, shedding light on its unique phonological features. This knowledge holds significance for various fields, including linguistics, language teaching, and speech pathology, enabling researchers and language professionals to better analyze and comprehend the complexities of Pashto syllables.

The syllable is the phonological element that plays a vital role in the formation of the word. A complete and standard syllable consists of the Onset, Nucleus, and Coda, but at the same time, the Onset or Coda part of the syllable can also fall down. No syllable can be constructed without Nucleus and vowel sounds. The vowel in the syllable structure has as much value as the syllable has in the word formation. These vowels play a fundamental role in the syllable’s distribution and types. This article explores the intricate structure and various types of syllables found in the Pashto language, primarily spoken in Afghanistan. Syllables play a fundamental role in linguistic analysis, as they constitute the building blocks of words and affect the rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns in speech. The findings of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the Pashto language's syllable structure, shedding light on its unique phonological features. This knowledge holds significance for various fields, including linguistics, language teaching, and speech pathology, enabling researchers and language professionals to better analyze and comprehend the complexities of Pashto syllables.

The syllable is the phonological element that plays a vital role in the formation of the word. A complete and standard syllable consists of the Onset, Nucleus, and Coda, but at the same time, the Onset or Coda part of the syllable can also fall down. No syllable can be constructed without Nucleus and vowel sounds. The vowel in the syllable structure has as much value as the syllable has in the word formation. These vowels play a fundamental role in the syllable’s distribution and types. This article explores the intricate structure and various types of syllables found in the Pashto language, primarily spoken in Afghanistan. Syllables play a fundamental role in linguistic analysis, as they constitute the building blocks of words and affect the rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns in speech. The findings of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the Pashto language's syllable structure, shedding light on its unique phonological features. This knowledge holds significance for various fields, including linguistics, language teaching, and speech pathology, enabling researchers and language professionals to better analyze and comprehend the complexities of Pashto syllables.

A report of research on phonology consists of two parts. The first examines the direction in which syllables are "built"--whether the segment or the syllable came first. The first part looks at the effects that different forms of syllabification have on syllable structure, and explores which syllable structure accounts for most syllable-related phonological processes. Attention is given to patterns of child language acquisition and its effects on syllable structure. It is concluded that the solution lies in an analysis in which direction of syllabification has no role at all. The second part analyzes syllable structure in Sranan, a Surinam creole, in the context of the child language data in part I. Focus is on onset and rhyme structure and on patterns of initial /s/ in clusters when compared with Sranan's superstrate language, English. A strong parallel between creolization and first language acquisition patterns is theorized. Contains 53 references. (MSE)

The syllable structure of Dholuo, a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in Western Kenya, is analyzed according to the generative CV-phonology model, which assumes that the syllable has a three-tiered structure: syllable node; CV-tier; and segmental tier. The consonant and vowel repertoires of Dholuo are outlined and charted, and syllable peak patterns, short- and long-vowel occurrences, and diphthong patterns are described and illustrated. Syllable onset and coda characteristics are also outlined. Four syllable types existing in Dholuo are identified, and it is concluded that according to one classification of languages in terms of canonical syllable types, Dholuo can be categorized as a type 4 language. Contains 13 references. (MSE)

The syllable is a natural unit of organization in spoken language whose strongest cross-linguistic patterns are often explained in terms of a universal preference for the CV structure. Syllable patterns involving long sequences of consonants are both typologically rare and theoretically marginalized, with few approaches treating these as natural or unproblematic structures. This book is an investigation of the properties of languages with highly complex syllable patterns. The two aims are (i) to establish whether these languages share other linguistic features in common such that they constitute a distinct linguistic type, and (ii) to identify possible diachronic paths and natural mechanisms by which these patterns come about in the history of a language. These issues are investigated in a diversified sample of 100 languages, 25 of which have highly complex syllable patterns.

This paper argues that Mandarin Chinese has a fixed syllabic represented by the template CGVX, with one slot in the onset and three slots in the rimeprime (as projection of the rime). It claims that the pre-nucleus glide is obligatory, is an independent constituent, and is adjoined to the rime constituent. Extensive evidence for this template is drawn from an analysis of derived mid vowels, distributional constraints on syllable structure, reduplication in language games, and rhyming in contemporary poetry and folksong. It remains to be shown whether all Chinese dialects share this same template. Contains 21 references. (MDM)

This paper argues that Mandarin Chinese has a fixed syllabic represented by the template CGVX, with one slot in the onset and three slots in the rimeprime (as projection of the rime). It claims that the pre-nucleus glide is obligatory, is an independent constituent, and is adjoined to the rime constituent. Extensive evidence for this template is drawn from an analysis of derived mid vowels, distributional constraints on syllable structure, reduplication in language games, and rhyming in contemporary poetry and folksong. It remains to be shown whether all Chinese dialects share this same template. Contains 21 references. (MDM)

This paper argues that Mandarin Chinese has a fixed syllabic represented by the template CGVX, with one slot in the onset and three slots in the rimeprime (as projection of the rime). It claims that the pre-nucleus glide is obligatory, is an independent constituent, and is adjoined to the rime constituent. Extensive evidence for this template is drawn from an analysis of derived mid vowels, distributional constraints on syllable structure, reduplication in language games, and rhyming in contemporary poetry and folksong. It remains to be shown whether all Chinese dialects share this same template. Contains 21 references. (MDM)

This paper argues that Mandarin Chinese has a fixed syllabic represented by the template CGVX, with one slot in the onset and three slots in the rimeprime (as projection of the rime). It claims that the pre-nucleus glide is obligatory, is an independent constituent, and is adjoined to the rime constituent. Extensive evidence for this template is drawn from an analysis of derived mid vowels, distributional constraints on syllable structure, reduplication in language games, and rhyming in contemporary poetry and folksong. It remains to be shown whether all Chinese dialects share this same template. Contains 21 references. (MDM)