The representation of sC-clusters

A Strict CV analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID22130586
AuthorsKrisztina Polgardi (0000-0001-7252-6464, ELTE Research Centre for Linguistics, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume7
Issue1
Publication date2022-12-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlossa a journal of general linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2397-1835 • E-ISSN: 2397-1835
PublisherOpen Library of the Humanities (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.16995/glossa.5702
OpenAlexW4309173604
LanguageEN
References cited23

sC-clusters have always posed a challenge for theories of phonological representation because they behave like coda-onset clusters, but they can also occur word-initially (where their behaviour typically differs from that of branching onsets comprising an obstruent followed by a sonorant). [s] in such initial clusters has been analysed as an appendix, as a coda, or as part of a complex segment. Out of these possibilities, the coda analysis (where initial [s] is assumed to be preceded by an empty nucleus) is shown to account for the data in the most satisfactory way. However, it faces the problem of how to ensure that this empty nucleus remains silent (called Magic Licensing). Instead, I propose a Strict CV representation of initial sC-clusters, where the melody of [s] is shared by a neighbouring V position, by a language specific choice: in Italian and Portuguese [s] occupies the preceding V position, while in English the following one. As the initial nucleus does not remain empty in this analysis, no special licensing is necessary. I also show that not only is the branching representation of [s] identical to that of syllabic sonorants in this model, their distribution is also parallel. In English, syllabic sonorants branch on the left, while syllabic [s] branches on the right, and the differences in their behaviour follow directly from the difference in the direction of branching. Finally, the marked structure of syllabic consonants is only permitted if without their branching the representation is ill-formed. This means that they must always be flanked by a consonant at least on one side

Acoustics · Coda · Combinatorics · Linguistics · Obstruent · Physics · Syllabic verse · Linguistic Studies and Language Acquisition · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Mathematics · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research

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