San Duanmu presented the colloquium talk at the Michigan State Linguistics Colloquium on Sept. 25, 2008.

Title and Abstract

The limits of variation in syllable structure: The CVX theory and its implications

Many linguists assume that there is a wide range of syllable types across languages. A common approach to such variation is to assume a set of parameters. I argue instead that the variation in syllable types is far more limited than currently conceived. In particular, if morphological factors are taken into consideration, the maximal syllable size is CVX (CVC or CVV).

The CVX theory claims that a word has the general structure M(C)S(C)M, where M is one or more affix or affix-like consonants, (C) is one consonant, and S is one or more syllables whose maximal structure is CVX. The theory attributes extra consonants, M and (C), to morphology, in the sense that (i) M must be added regardless of whether a neighboring syllable is full, and (ii) an initial (C) is found only in languages that have V-final prefixes, so that (C) can serve as its coda, and a final (C) is found only in languages that have V-initial suffixes, so that (C) can serve as its onset. In non-edge syllables, apparent CC onsets (e.g. [kw, pl, pr]) can all form a ‘complex sound’; in contrast, CC onsets that cannot form a complex sound are not found medially (e.g. sp-, sm-, thr-). In addition, apparent VXC rhymes can also be accounted for in terms of complex sounds, e.g. VNC  ṼC, as in symptom.

I also discuss the implications of the CVX theory, including whether the syllable exists, its relation to metrical structure, the Weight-Stress Principle, the determination of syllable boundaries, the role of sonority, and the notion of parameters in the theory of grammar.

Xinting Zhang’s Qualifying Research Paper, “Lexical Decision in Standard Chinese: Factors Influencing Speed and Accuracy,” has been approved.  Xingting now advances to Doctoral candidacy.

Congratulations, Xinting!

San Duanmu taught a phonology course at Peking University (PKU). The course was the equivalent of a first-year graduate phonology course at UM, but it was taught in 4 weeks during June-July. The course was hosted by the UM-PKU Joint Institute. There were over 50 students, mostly MA and PhD students in Linguistics. All were from Chinese universities, except two from UM. Other than the course, San also visited other schools and met with some linguists there.

Andries Coetzee has published a new paper in Language, the Journal of the Linguistic Society of America.

Coetzee, Andries W.  2008.  Grammaticality and ungrammaticality in
phonology.  Language, 84(2):218-257.

Abstract

In this paper, I make two theoretical claims: (i) For some form to be
grammatical in language L, it is not necessary that the form satisfy
all constraints that are active in L – i.e. even grammatical forms can
violate constraints. (ii) There are degrees of ungrammaticality – i.e.
not all ungrammatical forms are equally ungrammatical. I first show
that these claims follow straightforwardly from the basic architecture
of an Optimality Theoretic grammar. I then show that the surface sound
patterns used most widely in formal phonology cannot be used to test
the truth of these two claims, but argue that results from speech
processing experiments can. Finally, I discuss three experiments on
the processing of non-words of the form [stVt], [skVk] and [spVp] in
English that were designed to test these claims, and show that both
claims are confirmed by the results of the experiments.

Andries Coetzee presented a keynote address at NAPhC  5 (The 5th North American Phonology Conference) at Concordia in Montreal.

Abstract

Many phonological processes apply variably. The likelihood of a variable process applying is determined by a complex interaction between both grammatical and extra-grammatical factors. Over the past decade, several formal models of phonological variation have been developed. These models are quite successful at accounting for the role that the grammatical factors play in phonological variation. However, they are purely grammatical and do not account for the potential influence of extra-grammatical factors on the application of variable processes. Extra-grammatical influences are often equated with performance factors, and if the goal of linguistics is to account for the competence of the language user, then these extra-grammatical factors fall outside the domain of linguistics.

In this paper, I argue for a broader understanding of linguistic competence, where it is taken to encompass all those factors that determine linguistic performance and that that are consciously or subconsciously under the control of the language user. This includes both grammatical and some extra-grammatical factors. A sufficient model of the linguistic competence of the language user therefore needs to incorporate both grammatical and extra-grammatical competence.

By reviewing the literature on English  t/d-deletion I demonstrate that this process is influenced by both grammatical and extra-grammatical factors, and that the language user has at least subconscious control over both of these. I then propose a formal model of the linguistic competence of the language user that integrates both of these components of linguistic competence in the framework of Harmonic Grammar.

Mike Marlo (now visiting assistant professor at UCLA) also presented a talk at the conference. The title of his talk was:  “Post-syntactic spell-out and post-syntactic phonology: evidence from Bantu”.

San Duanmu and Andries Coetzee both gave presentations at the CUNY Phonology Forum Conference on the Syllable held in New York Jan. 17-19.

Coetzee and McGowan. Allophonic Cues to Syllabification

Duanmu. The CVX theory of syllable structure (.pdf for download)

Andries reports:

It was a very interesting conference with phonologists, phoneticians and psycholinguistics from across the US and Europe attending. The many different approaches to the syllable represented resulted in very stimulating discussions, and I think everybody left the conference feeling inspired.

Andries Coetzee presented a talk at NELS in Ottawa.

The title of the  talk was ”Lexical frequency and variation”. Andries proposed a model of how the mental lexicon interacts with phonological grammar. It has been known for a long time that variable phonological processes apply more frequently to words with a higher usage frequency. For, in stance, the shcwa in the second syllable of “memory” is more likely to delete than the schwa in the second

syllable of “mammary”, corresponding to the fact that “memory” is a much more frequent word that “mammary”.  Existing models of phonological variation do not allow a way in which these kinds of lexical properties can interact directly with the grammar.

NELS was heavily dominated by syntax talks, as it is always is. But there was also a semantics workshop on pronouns and binding with Irene Heim (MIT) as invited speaker, and a phonology workshop on “abtractness without innateness” with Bruce Hayes (UCLA) as invited speakers.

MSU Colloquium Series (2007)

Dr. Andries Coetzee.
“Lexical Frequency and Variation”

Wells-A607
Nov. 1; 4:30 pm. A coffee hour will be held at 3:30

Abstract
The problem. Variable phonological processes are influenced by the same grammatical factors as categorical processes. In English, t/d variably deletes from word-final clusters – cf. (1). Table 1 (next page) shows that the frequency of deletion is at least partially determined by phonological context. Several formal models have been developed over the past decade or so that can account fairly well for this grammatical influence on variable processes (Anttila 1997; Boersma & Hayes 2001; Coetzee 2006; etc.).
(1) Pre-C context Pre-V context Pre-Pause context
west bank ~ wes bank west end ~ wes end west ~ wes
However, usage frequency also influences the application frequency of a variable process. t/d-deletion is more likely in more frequent words – west and vest are very similar, but west is more likely to undergo t/d-deletion, corresponding to its higher usage frequency (Table 2). Current models of variation are all strictly grammatical, and cannot account for this frequency influence. I propose a model that allows grammar and lexical frequency to co-determine the application frequency of a variable process.
(2) *PRE-C: No word-final [-Ct/d] before a C-initial word.
*PRE-V: No word-final [-Ct/d] before a V-initial word.
*PRE-##: No word-final [-Ct/d] before a pause.
Chicano English ranking: MAX-L1 à *PRE-C à MAX-L2 à *PRE-V à MAX-L3 à PRE-## à MAX-L4.
The proposal. (i) Variable lexical indexation. I assume that faithfulness constraints can be indexed to lexical classes, and that these constraints are interspersed between the markedness constraints, as shown in (2). An indexed constraint only evaluates words that share its indexation. The novel proposal here is that words do not have to belong to one lexical class exclusively. Since a word can vary its affiliation, it can be evaluated by different indexed constraints on different occasions, resulting in variation. Assume that /west/ can be assigned to L1, L2, L3, or L4. The faithful candidate of /west bank/ violates *PRE-C, and the deletion candidate one of the indexed MAX-constraints, depending on /west/’s lexical class affiliation. If it is assigned to L1, the faithful candidate is optimal, but any other indexation results in deletion. Pre-vocalically (/west end/), the faithful candidate violates *PRE-V. Now two indexations result in preservation (L1, L2), and two in deletion (L3, L4) (cf. tableau below). Pre-pausally only an L4-affiliation results in deletion. The grammatical influence on variation is hence captured – deletion is observed under 3/4 indexations pre-consonantally, 2/4 pre-vocalically position, and only 1/4 pre-pausally.
(ii) Frequency and lexical class affiliation. In the current model, the lexical class of a word is determined at each evaluation occasion. I propose that this process is influenced by the word’s usage frequency. Every word is stored with its own probability distribution function. These functions range from 0 to 1, with the range divided into regions corresponding to the lexical classes. In the example here, values from 0 to .25 correspond to L1, .25 to .5 to L2, etc. Every time a word is submitted to the grammar, a value is chosen randomly from its probability distribution to determine its lexical class affiliation for that evaluation occasion. If a value under .25 is selected it will be evaluated by MAX-L1, etc.
The shape of a word’s distribution function is determined by its frequency. Frequent words have left-skewed distributions so that their distribution mass is concentrated at the higher end. A frequent word will hence more likely select a value resulting in it being classified as L3 or L4 than L1 or L2. Consequently, a frequent word is more likely to be protected by low ranking faithfulness, and hence to undergo deletion. Infrequent words have right-skewed distributions. By similar reasoning, they are more likely to be assigned to L1 or L2, and hence to resist deletion (cf. figure below). Since usage frequency determines the shape of the distribution functions, lexical frequency gets to influence the likelihood of deletion.
Conclusions. There is mounting evidence that lexical factors (usage frequency) play a role in phonology. An adequate model of phonology must include a mechanism through which such lexical factors can contribute to phonological performance. Lexically indexed constraints allow lexical information an indirect entrance into the grammar, which I exploit here to allow grammar and the lexicon to co-determine the frequency with which variable processes apply.

San Duanmu went to a feature conference at University of Paris 3 (Sorbonne-nouvelle) Oct 4-5. The conference title was ‘Where Do Features Come From? Phonological Primitives in the Brain, the Mouth, and the Ear‘.

The weather in Paris was great. The conference was a very interesting and focused. All the talks were on features, mostly with an experimental component. The organizers have asked speakers to provide their handouts or PowerPoint files on the internet. So soon they should be available from the conference website:

This conference was a concluding event of a multi-year research project on features at Paris 3. Several PhD students worked on 1-2 features each and presented their works. Ken Stevens also gave a special session on the quantal theory and the latest work by him and his colleagues and students.