A Critical Introduction to Phonology

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.

Dr Daniel Silverman is the author of Phasing and Recoverability (New York: Garland, 1997)

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