Overview

Taking an interdisciplinary approach to phonological theory and analysis, A Critical Introduction to Phonology introduces the key aspects of the discipline. Departing from the mainstream tradition, Daniel Silverman argues that the nature of linguistic sound systems can only be understood in the context of how they are used by speakers and listeners. By proposing that linguistic sound systems are the product of an interaction among sound (acoustics), mind (cognition), and body (physiology), Silverman focuses on the functional consequences of their interaction. Now with each chapter supplemented by a section on “Doing Phonology”, together with phonological examples from a large corpus of data, this expanded second edition offers a provocative introduction to phonological theory. This book is essential reading for all students and researchers of phonology who are already familiar with the standard approaches and provides both a new theoretical background and the mechanical tools for truly successful phonological analyses.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr. Daniel Silverman (San José State University, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Edition:   2nd edition
Weight:   0.685kg
ISBN:  

9781474238892

ISBN 10:   1474238890
Pages:   360
Publication Date:   21 September 2017
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface Part I 1. The Functional Typology of Sound Substitution Setting the scene The functional typology of sound substitution Learning the alternants Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Dutch 2. Meaning-Changing Sound Substitution Introduction Three examples of meaning-changing sound substitution Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Southern Kongo Part II 3. Meaning-Merging Sound Substitution Introduction Dutch Korean, Chinese, and Chong Hungarian Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Russian 4. Meaning-Maintaining Sound Substitution Introduction Four cases of meaning-maintaining sound substitution Physical similarity versus functional identity 'Two-and-a-half' cases of mistaken identity Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Korean 5. Variation and Probability Introduction Models of variation Probability matching Probability matching promotes category separation and phonetic stability Trique trans-velar labial harmony Comaltepec Chinantec tone alternation High-tone behaviour in Zulu and elsewhere Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Chiquihuitlan Mazatec 6. The Pull of Phonetics; the Push of Semantics Introduction Corsican again American English Word-initial position Summary and conclusion Doing phonology: Lithuanian Part III 7. Loquor ergo es Introduction Ease of perception: Are speakers 'altruistic'? Ease of production: Are speakers 'selfish'? 'Alphabetism' and 'phonemism': Whence and whither? The 'synchronic explanation' oxymoron 'Synchronic explanation' Summary and conclusion Doing Phonology: Sea Dayak Appendix: Primer of Phonetic Rudiments Glossary Index

Reviews

Daniel Silverman has written a book that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable to read. By presenting an interdisciplinary approach, it will be of interest to phonologists and scholars in related fields. And by challenging established ideas, it will essential reading for established experts and advanced students. Bert Botma, Lecturer, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Netherlands Daniel Silverman's thought-provoking book is essential reading for anyone interested in phonology, from beginning students to established scholars. In it, he manages to discuss all the issues phonologists care deeply about - from children's acquisition of sound-meaning mappings to sound change taking place over generations - while challenging many of the fundamental notions of mainstream phonology. This new edition includes well-known phonological problem sets that demonstrate how to 'do' phonology in the framework he proposes - a framework that is both innovative (as it rejects a number of core assumptions that many introductory textbooks take for granted) and firmly embedded in a tradition of over a century of scholarship, quoted throughout the book. Silverman's approach relies strongly on the relationship between phonetics and phonology, and manages, almost casually, to teach the reader as much about the former as the latter. Koen Sebregts, Assistant Professor of English Linguistics, Utrecht University, Netherlands

Daniel Silverman has written a book that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable to read. By presenting an interdisciplinary approach, it will be of interest to phonologists and scholars in related fields. And by changing established ideas, it will essential reading for established experts and advanced students. Bert Botma, Lecturer, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Netherlands

Author Information

Daniel Silverman is Associate Professor of Phonology at San Jose State University, USA. He has published widely on phonology and is the author of Neutralization (2012) and Phasing and Recoverability (1997).

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