Ling 450/550

Introduction to Phonology

Spring 2010

Course goals:

This course teaches students to find patterns in phonological data. For most of the course we will stick to traditional linear rules. Autosegmental representations will be introduced in weeks 7 and 8 concluding with a brief introduction to Optimality Theory and controversial issues in analyzing phonological data. By the end of the course, the students should be able to find and concisely express patterns in phonological data, gain enough familiarity with current descriptive frameworks (Autosegmental Phonology, Optimality Theory) to be able to understand analyses done in those frameworks, and be aware enough of the issues in phonological analysis to evaluate competing descriptively adequate analyses.

Books:

Hayes, Bruce. 2009. Introductory Phonology. Wiley-Blackwell. REQUIRED

Kager, Rene. 1999. Optimality Theory. Cambridge University Press. Chapters on Blackboard.

Odden, David. 2005. Introducing Phonology. Cambridge University Press. Chapters on Blackboard.

Roca, Iggy, and Wyn Johnson. 1999. A Course in Phonology. Blackwell. Chapters on Blackboard.

Preliminary schedule:

1.1: What is phonology vs. phonetics?                    Hayes, Chapter 1

1.2: Phonemic analysis                                                   Hayes, Chapter 2                              HW 1 assigned

2.1: Reality of phonemes                                              Hayes, Chapter 3

2.2: Features                                                                      Hayes, Chapter 4                              HW 1 due; HW 2 assigned

3.1: Morphology                                                               Hayes, Chapter 5

3.2: Alternations                                                               Hayes, Chapter 6                              HW 2 due; HW 3 assigned

4.1: Rule interactions & morphophonemics          Hayes, Chapters 7, 8

4.2: Productivity                                                               Hayes, Chapter 9                              HW 3 due; HW 4 assigned

5.1: Naturalness                                                               Odden, Chapter 8

5.2: Naturalness, common rules                                                                                                HW 4 due

6.1: Midterm

6.2: Boundary phenomena Hayes, Chapter 10 HW 5 assigned

7.1: Syllables Hayes, Chapter 13

7.2: Stress Hayes, Chapter 14 HW 5 due; HW 6 assigned

8.1: Tone and intonation Hayes, Chapter 15

8.2: Autosegments in segmental phonology Roca & Johnson HW 6 due; HW 7 assigned

9.1: Doing away with rules: OT                                   Kager, Chapter 1

9.2: An OT analysis                                                           Kager, Chapter 2                              HW 7 due; HW 8 assigned

10.1: OT and rule ordering                                            Kager, Chapter 9.2

10.2: Abstractness, Diachrony vs. synchrony        Hayes, Chapters 11, 12                  HW 8 due

Finals week: Final exam

Grading:

450:

8 homeworks: 8% each (64% total)

Midterm: 16%

Final: 20%

550:

                8 homeworks: 6% each (48% total)

                Midterm: 12%

                Final: 15%

                Project: 25%