Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-2lccl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T00:43:05.228Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Loan words and abstract phonotactic constraints

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Jonathan Kaye
Affiliation:
Université du Québec à Montréal
Barbara Nykiel
Affiliation:
Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna à

Extract

In this paper we will discuss several cases of the phonology of loan words. We will show that loan words are adapted phonologically to meet certain constraints on possible words or morphemes imposed on them by the borrowing language. Most significantly, such constraints are defined on the level of lexical representation. To our knowledge so-called “surface phonetic constraints” (henceforth SPC’s) play no role in the phonology of loan words, nor indeed in any other part of phonology. Our examples show that deep phonotactic constraints, constraints not necessarily reflected on the surface, are the drums to which loan words must march. This is not to say that all aspects of loan word phonological behaviour are now understood. Many mysterious facts still remain unexplained. We do claim that substantial aspects of this phenomenon may be understood by assuming that the systematic phonemic level of generative phonology is the level on which the constraints controlling loan word phonological behaviour are defined.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andersen, Henning (1973) “Abductive and deductive change.” Language 49. 76593.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. (1977) Dialogues avec Mitsou Ronat. Paris: Flammarion.Google Scholar
Eliasson, S. (to appear) “Analytic vs. synthetic aspects of phonological structure.” To appear in Goyvaerts, D. L. (ed.), Phonology in the 1970’s.Google Scholar
Gussmann, E. (1978) Explorations in abstract phonology. Maria Curie-Skłodowska University: Lublin.Google Scholar
Hooper, J. (1978) “Substantive principles in natural generative phonology.” In Dinnsen, D. (ed.), Current Phonological Theories. Indiana University Press: Bloomington.Google Scholar
Hyman, L. (1970) “The role of borrowing in the justification of phonological grammars.” Studies in African Linguistics 1. 148.Google Scholar
Kenstowicz, M., and Pyle, C. (1973) “On the phonological integrity of geminate clusters.” In Kenstowicz, M. and Kisseberth, C. (edd.), Issues in Phonological Theory. The Hague: Mouton, 2743.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaye, J. (1973) “Odawa stress and related phenomena.” In Piggott, G. and Kaye, J. (edd.), Odawa Language Project: Second Report. Centre of Linguistic Studies, University of Toronto.Google Scholar
Kaye, J. (1974) “Opacity and recoverability in phonology.” Canadian Journal of Linguistics 19: 13449.Google Scholar
Kaye, J. (1975a) “Contraintes profondes en phonologie: les emprunts.” Cahier de Linguistique de l’UQAM 5. 87101.Google Scholar
Kaye, J. (1975b) “A functional explanation for rule ordering in phonology.” In Parasession on Functionalism. CLS 11. 24452.Google Scholar
Kaye, J. (1978) “On the alleged correlation of markedness and rule function.” In Dinnsen, D. (ed.), Current Phonological Theories. Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 27280.Google Scholar
Kaye, J. (to appear) “Abstractness, recoverability and phonotactic constraints.” To appear in Goyvaerts, D. (ed.), Phonology in the 1970’s.Google Scholar
Morin, Y.-Ch. (1976) “Contrainte de structure morphématique en bourouchaski.” Recherches Linguistiques à Montréal 6. 197204.Google Scholar
Postal, P. (1968) Aspects of Phonological Theory. New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Shibatani, M. (1973) “The role of surface phonetic constraints in generative phonology.” Language 49: 87106.Google Scholar
Stampe, D. (1973) A Dissertation on Natural Phonology. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, the Ohio State University.Google Scholar
Walker, D. (1975) “Contraintes profondes en phonologie française.” Cahier de Linguistique de l’UQAM 5: 7785.Google Scholar