The Emergence of Distinctive Features (Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory)

This book makes a fundamental contribution to phonology, linguistic typology, and the nature of the human language faculty. Distinctive features in phonology distinguish one meaningful sound from another. Since the mid-twentieth century they have been seen as a set characterizing all possible phonological distinctions and as an integral part of Universal Grammar, the innate language faculty underlying successive versions of Chomskyan generative theory. The usefulness of distinctive features in phonological analysis is uncontroversial, but the supposition that features are innate and universal rather than learned and language-specific has never, until now, been systematically tested. In his pioneering account Jeff Mielke presents the results of a crosslinguistic survey of natural classes of distinctive features covering almost six hundred of the world's languages drawn from a variety of different families. He shows that no theory is able to characterize more than 71 per cent of classes, and further that current theories, deployed either singly or collectively, do not predict the range of classes that occur and recur. He reveals the existence of apparently unnatural classes in many languages. Even without these findings, he argues, there are reasons to doubt whether distinctive features are innate: for example, distinctive features used in signed languages are different from those in spoken languages, even though deafness is generally not hereditary. The author explains the grouping of sounds into classes and concludes by offering a unified account of what previously have been considered to be natural and unnatural classes. The data on which the analysis is based are freely available in a program downloadable from the publisher's web site. This Book Makes A Fundamental Contribution To Phonology, Linguistic Typology, And The Nature Of The Human Language Faculty. In His Account Jeff Mielke Presents The Results Of A Cross Linguistic Survey Of Natural Classes Of Distinctive Features Covering Almost Six Hundred Of The World's Languages Drawn From A Variety Of Different Families. He Shows That No Theory Is Able To Characterize More Than 71 Percent Of Classes, And Further That Current Theories, Deployed Either Singly Or Collectively, Do Not Predict The Range Of Classes That Occur And Recur. He Reveals The Existence Of Apparently Unnatural Classes In Many Languages. Even Without These Findings, He Argues, There Are Reasons To Doubt Whether Distinctive Features Are Innate: For Example, Distinctive Features Used In Signed Languages Are Different From Those In Spoken Languages, Even Though Deafness Is Generally Not Hereditary. The Emergence Of Distinctive Features Will Be Of Essential Interest To Phonologists And Typologists, As Well As To Syntacticians, Cognitive Scientists, And Scholars Outside Linguistics Interested In The Nature Of Language And Its Acquisition.--jacket. 1 Natural Classes And Distinctive Features In Phonology 1 -- 1.1 Natural Class Behavior 2 -- 1.2 Emergent Feature Theory 7 -- 1.3 Incorporating Insights Of Innate Features Into Emergent Feature Theory 10 -- 1.5 General Arguments Against Innate Features 15 -- 1.5.1 Signed Language Features 15 -- 1.5.2 No Evidence That Unattested = Impossible 20 -- 1.5.3 No Null Hypothesis And No Large-scale Survey 21 -- 1.5.4 New Theories Without New Evidence 23 -- 1.5.5 Dogs, Fish, Chickens, And Humans 25 -- 1.5.6 Innate Features Recapitulate Independently Observable Facts 26 -- 1.6 Original Motivations For Distinctive Features 30 -- 1.6.1 Motivations For Features 30 -- 1.6.2 Motivations For Binarity 31 -- 1.6.3 Motivations For Innateness 32 -- 2 Phonetic And Psycholinguistic Evidence 36 -- 2.1 Phonetic Evidence 37 -- 2.1.1 Speech Errors 37 -- 2.1.2 Quantal Relations 38 -- 2.1.3 Perception 39 -- 2.1.4 Crosslinguistic Differences 40 -- 2.1.5 Incomplete Neutralization 42 -- 2.2 Psycholinguistic Evidence 42 -- 2.2.1 Infant Perception 42 -- 2.2.2 Developmental Evidence 44 -- 2.2.3 Meg Studies 45 -- 3 Survey Methods 47 -- 3.1 Data Collection 47 -- 3.2 Analysis 49 -- 4 Ambivalent Segments 56 -- 4.1 Some Survey Results 58 -- 4.1.1 Prototypically Non-prototypical Segments: Lateral Liquids 58 -- 4.1.2 Other Continuants And Non-continuants 62 -- 4.1.3 The Ambivalence Of Nasals 65 -- 4.1.4 Lateral Ambivalence In Action 68 -- 4.1.5 Summary Of Results 72 -- 5 Emergent Feature Theory 78 -- 5.1 Emergence 78 -- 5.2 Emergent Features 81 -- 5.2.1 Sound Change 85 -- 5.2.2 Phonetically Based Generalization 86 -- 5.2.3 Frequency 95 -- 5.2.4 Social Factors 97 -- 5.3 The Abstractness Of Emergent Features 98 -- 5.4 Reinterpreting Formal Phonology 100 -- 5.5 Formalization 104 -- 5.5.1 Accounting For Language Data 104 -- 5.5.2 Toward A Cognitive Representation Of Phonology 111 -- 6 General Survey Results 114 -- 6.1 Predictions Of Different Models 114 -- 6.3 Unnatural Classes 118 -- 6.3.1 Crazy Classes 119 -- 6.3.2 Recurrent Phonetically Natural Unnatural Classes 124 -- 6.3.3 Recurrent Classes Appearing To Involve Generalization In Two Directions 129 -- 6.4 Related Patterns In Related Languages 133 -- 6.5 Recurrent Phonetically Unnatural Classes 143 -- 7 Survey Results In Terms Of Feature Theories 147 -- 7.1 Preliminaries, Spe, And Unified Feature Theory 147 -- 7.1.1 Place Of Articulation 158 -- 7.1.2 Phonetic Correlates 161 -- 7.1.3 Defining Unnatural Classes 163 -- 7.2 Other Feature Theories 165 -- 7.4 Towards A Phonetic Similarity Model 168 -- 8 The Emergence Of Linguistic Structure 173 -- 8.1 Formalization 175 -- 8.2 Explanation 176 -- 8.2.1 The Macro Model 180 -- 8.2.2 The Micro Model 181 -- 8.3 Combining Models 182 -- 8.3.1 Production Filters 186 -- 8.3.2 Perception Filters 188 -- 8.3.3 Generalization 189 -- 8.3.4 Supermodel 191 -- 8.3.5 Submodels 193 -- Appendix A Languages In The Survey 199 -- Appendix B Detailed Survey Results 214 -- Appendix C Detailed Phonetic Similarity Results 227. Jeff Mielke. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [231]-263) And Indexes. Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 10 List of figures and tables......Page 13 Abbreviations......Page 17 1 Natural classes and distinctive features in phonology......Page 20 1.1 Natural class behavior......Page 21 1.2 Emergent feature theory......Page 26 1.3 Incorporating insights of innate features into emergent feature theory......Page 29 1.4 Definitions......Page 31 1.5.1 Signed language features......Page 34 1.5.2 No evidence that unattested = impossible......Page 39 1.5.3 No null hypothesis and no large-scale survey......Page 40 1.5.4 New theories without new evidence......Page 42 1.5.5 Dogs, fish, chickens, and humans......Page 44 1.5.6 Innate features recapitulate independently observable facts......Page 45 1.5.7 Summary......Page 47 1.6.1 Motivations for features......Page 49 1.6.2 Motivations for binarity......Page 50 1.6.3 Motivations for innateness......Page 51 1.7 Outline of the book......Page 53 2 Phonetic and psycholinguistic evidence......Page 55 2.1.1 Speech errors......Page 56 2.1.2 Quantal relations......Page 57 2.1.3 Perception......Page 58 2.1.4 Crosslinguistic differences......Page 59 2.2.1 Infant perception......Page 61 2.2.2 Developmental evidence......Page 63 2.2.3 MEG studies......Page 64 2.3 Summary......Page 65 3.1 Data collection......Page 66 3.2 Analysis......Page 68 4 Ambivalent segments......Page 75 4.1.1 Prototypically non-prototypical segments: lateral liquids......Page 77 4.1.2 Other continuants and non-continuants......Page 81 4.1.3 The ambivalence of nasals......Page 84 4.1.4 Lateral ambivalence in action......Page 87 4.1.5 Summary of results......Page 91 4.2 Discussion......Page 92 5.1 ''Emergence''......Page 97 5.2 Emergent features......Page 100 5.2.1 Sound change......Page 104 5.2.2 Phonetically based generalization......Page 105 5.2.3 Frequency......Page 114 5.2.4 Social factors......Page 116 5.3 The abstractness of emergent features......Page 117 5.4 Reinterpreting formal phonology......Page 119 5.5.1 Accounting for language data......Page 123 5.5.2 Toward a cognitive representation of phonology......Page 130 5.6 Summary......Page 131 6.1 Predictions of different models......Page 133 6.2 Overview......Page 136 6.3 Unnatural classes......Page 137 6.3.1 Crazy classes......Page 138 6.3.2 Recurrent phonetically natural ''unnatural'' classes......Page 143 6.3.3 Recurrent classes appearing to involve generalization in two directions......Page 148 6.4 Related patterns in related languages......Page 152 6.5 Recurrent phonetically unnatural classes......Page 162 7.1 Preliminaries, SPE, and Unified Feature Theory......Page 166 7.1.1 Place of articulation......Page 177 7.1.2 Phonetic correlates......Page 180 7.1.3 Defining unnatural classes......Page 182 7.2 Other feature theories......Page 184 7.3 Summary......Page 186 7.4 Towards a phonetic similarity model......Page 187 7.5 Conclusions......Page 190 8 The emergence of linguistic structure......Page 192 8.1 Formalization......Page 194 8.2 Explanation......Page 195 8.2.1 The Macro Model......Page 199 8.2.2 The Micro Model......Page 200 8.3 Combining models......Page 201 8.3.1 Production filters......Page 205 8.3.2 Perception filters......Page 207 8.3.3 Generalization......Page 208 8.3.4 Supermodel......Page 210 8.3.5 Submodels......Page 212 8.5 Conclusions......Page 216 Appendix A: Languages in the survey......Page 218 Appendix B: Detailed survey results......Page 233 Appendix C: Detailed phonetic similarity results......Page 246 References......Page 250 B......Page 284 D......Page 285 G......Page 286 J......Page 287 M......Page 288 O......Page 289 S......Page 290 U......Page 291 Z......Page 292 L......Page 293 V......Page 294 D......Page 295 G......Page 296 O......Page 297 S......Page 298 W......Page 299 9780199207916 Contents 6 Preface 10 List of figures and tables 13 Abbreviations 17 1 Natural classes and distinctive features in phonology 20 1.1 Natural class behavior 21 1.2 Emergent feature theory 26 1.3 Incorporating insights of innate features into emergent feature theory 29 1.4 Definitions 31 1.5 General arguments against innate features 34 1.5.1 Signed language features 34 1.5.2 No evidence that unattested = impossible 39 1.5.3 No null hypothesis and no large-scale survey 40 1.5.4 New theories without new evidence 42 1.5.5 Dogs, fish, chickens, and humans 44 1.5.6 Innate features recapitulate independently observable facts 45 1.5.7 Summary 47 1.6 Original motivations for distinctive features 49 1.6.1 Motivations for features 49 1.6.2 Motivations for binarity 50 1.6.3 Motivations for innateness 51 1.7 Outline of the book 53 2 Phonetic and psycholinguistic evidence 55 2.1 Phonetic evidence 56 2.1.1 Speech errors 56 2.1.2 Quantal relations 57 2.1.3 Perception 58 2.1.4 Crosslinguistic differences 59 2.1.5 Incomplete neutralization 61 2.2 Psycholinguistic evidence 61 2.2.1 Infant perception 61 2.2.2 Developmental evidence 63 2.2.3 MEG studies 64 2.3 Summary 65 3 Survey methods 66 3.1 Data collection 66 3.2 Analysis 68 4 Ambivalent segments 75 4.1 Some survey results 77 4.1.1 Prototypically non-prototypical segments: lateral liquids 77 4.1.2 Other continuants and non-continuants 81 4.1.3 The ambivalence of nasals 84 4.1.4 Lateral ambivalence in action 87 4.1.5 Summary of results 91 4.2 Discussion 92 5 Emergent feature theory 97 5.1 ''Emergence'' 97 5.2 Emergent features 100 5.2.1 Sound change 104 5.2.2 Phonetically based generalization 105 5.2.3 Frequency 114 5.2.4 Social factors 116 5.3 The abstractness of emergent features 117 5.4 Reinterpreting formal phonology 119 5.5 Formalization 123 5.5.1 Accounting for language data 123 5.5.2 Toward a cognitive representation of phonology 130 5.6 Summary 131 6 General survey results 133 6.1 Predictions of different models 133 6.2 Overview 136 6.3 Unnatural classes 137 6.3.1 Crazy classes 138 6.3.2 Recurrent phonetically natural ''unnatural'' classes 143 6.3.3 Recurrent classes appearing to involve generalization in two directions 148 6.4 Related patterns in related languages 152 6.5 Recurrent phonetically unnatural classes 162 7 Survey results in terms of feature theories 166 7.1 Preliminaries, SPE, and Unified Feature Theory 166 7.1.1 Place of articulation 177 7.1.2 Phonetic correlates 180 7.1.3 Defining unnatural classes 182 7.2 Other feature theories 184 7.3 Summary 186 7.4 Towards a phonetic similarity model 187 7.5 Conclusions 190 8 The emergence of linguistic structure 192 8.1 Formalization 194 8.2 Explanation 195 8.2.1 The Macro Model 199 8.2.2 The Micro Model 200 8.3 Combining models 201 8.3.1 Production filters 205 8.3.2 Perception filters 207 8.3.3 Generalization 208 8.3.4 Supermodel 210 8.3.5 Submodels 212 8.4 Summary 216 8.5 Conclusions 216 Appendix A: Languages in the survey 218 Appendix B: Detailed survey results 233 Appendix C: Detailed phonetic similarity results 246 References 250 Language Index 284 A 284 B 284 C 285 D 285 E 286 F 286 G 286 H 287 I 287 J 287 K 288 L 288 M 288 N 289 O 289 P 290 Q 290 R 290 S 290 T 291 U 291 V 292 W 292 X 292 Y 292 Z 292 Feature index 293 A 293 B 293 C 293 D 293 F 293 G 293 H 293 I 293 L 293 M 294 N 294 O 294 P 294 R 294 S 294 T 294 U 294 V 294 Index 295 A 295 B 295 C 295 D 295 E 296 F 296 G 296 H 297 I 297 L 297 M 297 N 297 O 297 P 298 Q 298 R 298 S 298 T 299 U 299 V 299 W 299 "# Publisher: Oxford University Press,USA # Number Of Pages: 256 # Publication Date: 2008-05-25 " # Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA # Number Of Pages: 256 # Publication Date: 2008-05-25