Syllable structure processes in Northern Sotho : a linear and non-linear phonological analysis

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study intends to describe and explain syllable structure processes in Northern Sotho.It deals with phonological processes such as vowel deletion, semivocalization andsemivowel insertion. The major aim of these processes is to restore the preferred ICVIsyllable structure which has been violated by morphological processes such as passive,diminutive, the construction of absolute pronouns, etc.Two phonological models are applied with the intention to determine the one that presentsthe most credible explanation for the phenomenon at hand. The two models employedare, respectively, the Transformational (TG) and Feature Geometry (FG) models. Itappears that Feature Geometry model yields better results in the description of syllablestructure processes in Northern Sotho.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University