Chapter 13

Exercises:

1. English deletion and assimilation. In some registers of English speech, the following pronunciations may be heard. (Assume the transcriptions are correct, whether or not it matches your own speech.)

There are two alternations: a process of consonant deletion and a process of nasal assimilation. Note the cases both where the rules do apply and where they don't.

a. State (in English) the generalization that governs consonant deletion.

b. State (in English) the generalization that governs nasal assimilation.

c. Rewrite rule 13a using SPE formalism.

d. Rewrite 13b using both SPE and autosegmental formalism.

e. Give a derivation for [græmmʌðɚ] (see example (7) in the text)

f. Must your two rules apply in order? Give evidence for your answer by showing correct and/or incorrect derivations (see example (8) in the text).

in pairs / ɪmpeɹz
on Monday / ɔmmʌnde
inbound / ɪmbaʊnd
on time / ɔnthaɪm
in class / ɪŋklæs
sunglasses / sʌŋglæsɨz
come together / khʌmthəgɛðɚ
sing parts / sɪŋphaɹts
walked by / wɔkbaɪ
stopped by / stɑpbaɪ
kept moving / khɛpmuvɪŋ
helped pack / hɛlpphæk
held back / hɛlbæk
hugged me / hʌgmi
best buy / bɛsbaɪ
think postive / θɪŋkphɑzɪtɪv
false pride / fɔlspɹaɪd
clamp down / klæmpdaʊn
held together / hɛldthəgɛðɚ
bold call / boldkhal
risk management / rɪskmænɪdʒmɪnt
best friend / bɛstfrɛnd
grandmother / græmmʌðɚ
stand pat / stæmphæt
send money / sɛmmʌni
can’t be / khæmbe
count money / kaʊmmʌni
went by / wɛmbaɪ

2. Examine the following data from Korean (Gleason, 1955, Workbook in Descriptive Linguistics). The sounds [s], [S], and [z] are in complementary distribution and form one phoneme. Choose one alternant as basic, and write rules to derive each of the other two. Write your rules both in SPE and Autosegmental formalism. Which works better?

satan / division
sæk / color
sæ / new
sosʌl / novel
su / number
sul / wine
susul / operation
ʃeke / world
ʃekum / taxes
ʃesuʃil / washroom
ʃihap / game
ʃiktaŋ / dining room
ʃilsu / mistake
ʃinpu / bride
ʧaŋza / business
inza / greetings
inzseʧa / publisher
paŋzʌk / cushion
umzikʧʌm / restaurant
jʌŋzuʧuŋ / receipt