Lexical Phonology

Overview

Lexical phonology is a theoretical framework within generative phonology that aims to explain the interaction between phonological rules and the lexicon, particularly concerning word-formation processes. It posits that phonological rules apply in an ordered sequence of levels or strata.

Contents

Overview Key Concepts Deep Dive Applications Challenges & Misconceptions FAQs What is the main goal of Lexical Phonology?How does it differ from earlier phonological theories?Is Lexical Phonology still relevant today?

Key Concepts

The core idea is that different types of rules apply at different stages:

Lexical Rules: Apply within the lexicon, often interacting with morphology and affecting word structure. These are typically cyclic.
Post-lexical Rules: Apply after words have been formed and entered the lexicon, operating on strings of words.
Levels/Strata: Represent distinct phases of rule application, ordered from innermost (lexical) to outermost (post-lexical).

Deep Dive

Within lexical phonology, rules are ordered, and some rules are cyclic, meaning they reapply at each level they are relevant. This cyclicity is crucial for explaining phenomena like stress assignment and vowel harmony. The distinction between lexical and post-lexical rules helps account for why certain phonological processes are sensitive to word boundaries or syntactic structure.

Applications

This theory has been applied to analyze diverse phonological phenomena across languages, including:

Morphological processes and their phonological consequences.
Stress and accent systems.
Phonotactic constraints.
Tone sandhi.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is that lexical phonology rigidly separates morphology and phonology. However, the theory emphasizes their deep interaction. Challenges include determining the exact number and nature of levels for different languages and accounting for exceptions.