In:Essays on Linguistic Realism:
Edited by Christina Behme and Martin Neef
[Studies in Language Companion Series 196] 2018
► pp. 185–202
Chapter 7Autonomous Declarative Phonology
A realist approach to the phonology of German
Published online: 26 July 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.196.07nee
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.196.07nee
Abstract
In the paradigm of Linguistic Realism, phonology deals with abstract objects. Consequently, phonological units cannot be derived from phonetics as the material side of speech production and reception. I suggest a theoretical approach that conceives of phonology as autonomous from phonetics; hence Autonomous Declarative Phonology. The central questions of this kind of phonology are: What are the phonological elements of a specific language system (in particular: German)? How can these phonological elements be combined in the language under analysis? I give a definition of what phonology is and show how individual phonological units can be motivated. In order to give a model-theoretic reconstruction of phonological sequences, I make reference to the concept of syllable, employing and re-interpreting ideas from generative phonology and other approaches such as hierarchical syllable structure, CV-phonology, and sonority.
Keywords: declarative phonology, minimal pairs, syllable, phonological word, sonority
Article outline
- 1.Fields of linguistics
- 2.A theory for languages as abstract objects
- 3.Autonomous Declarative Phonology
- 3.1Defining phonology
- 3.2Determining the set of phonological units
- 3.3Paradigmatic properties of phonological units
- 3.4Syntagmatic properties of phonological units
- 4.Conclusion
Notes References
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Cited by (2)
Cited by two other publications
Bérces, Katalin Balogné & Patrick Honeybone
Nefdt, Ryan M.
2018. Languages and other abstract structures. In Essays on Linguistic Realism [Studies in Language Companion Series, 196], ► pp. 139 ff.
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