Statistically gradient generalizations for contrastive phonological features
In mainstream phonology, contrastive properties, like stem-final voicing, are
simply listed in the lexicon. This article reviews experimental evidence that
such contrastive properties may be predictable to some degree and that the relevant
statistically gradient generalizations form an inherent part of the grammar.
The evidence comes from the underlying voice specification of stem-final
obstruents in Dutch. Contrary to received wisdom, this voice specification is
partly predictable from the obstruent’s manner and place of articulation and
from the phonological properties of the preceding segments. The degree of predictability,
which depends on the exact contents of the lexicon, directs speakers’
guesses of underlying voice specifications. Moreover, existing words that disobey
the generalizations are disadvantaged by being recognized and produced
more slowly and less accurately, also under natural conditions.We discuss how
these observations can be accounted for in two types of different approaches to
grammar, Stochastic Optimality Theory and exemplar-based modeling.
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