Highly complex syllable structure: A typological and diachronic study

The syllable is a natural unit of organization in spoken language whose strongest cross-linguistic patterns are often explained in terms of a universal preference for the CV structure. Syllable patterns involving long sequences of consonants are both typologically rare and theoretically marginalized, with few approaches treating these as natural or unproblematic structures. This book is an investigation of the properties of languages with highly complex syllable patterns. The two aims are (i) to establish whether these languages share other linguistic features in common such that they constitute a distinct linguistic type, and (ii) to identify possible diachronic paths and natural mechanisms by which these patterns come about in the history of a language. These issues are investigated in a diversified sample of 100 languages, 25 of which have highly complex syllable patterns. Languages with highly complex syllable structure are characterized by a number of phonetic, phonological, and morphological features which serve to set them apart from languages with simpler syllable patterns. These include specific segmental and suprasegmental properties, a higher prevalence of vowel reduction processes with extreme outcomes, and higher average morpheme/word ratios. The results suggest that highly complex syllable structure is a linguistic type distinct from but sharing some characteristics with other proposed holistic phonological types, including stress-timed and consonantal languages. The results point to word stress and specific patterns of gestural organization as playing important roles in the diachronic development of these patterns out of simpler syllable structures

The Verb in Transitional Libyan Arabic: Morphomes, the Stem space and Principal parts

Should we analyse Arabic morphology in terms of a morpheme-based approach or in terms of a stem-based approach? This is the question which has figured prominently in morphological debate in recent years, especially in Semitic linguistics with ablaut-rich inflectional systems. This study provides a novel synchronic account to Transitional Libyan Arabic morphology, using a stem-based approach that assesses the morphomicity (Maiden, 2009, p.45) of stem alternations in the verb inflectional paradigm. This work focuses on the role of stem alternations in defining inflectional paradigmatic complexity in relation to implicative relations and inflection classes within the stem-space and principal parts morphological approaches. Following Bonami and Boyé’s (2002) approach to stem alternations in French, we define an inheritance hierarchy for TLA morphomic verb stems and show how this effectively identifies a set of inflection classes in the absence of affixal allomorphy. Within Stump and Finkel (2013) principal parts model, TLA inflection class membership can be determined by principal parts as indexed stems and/or as substems. The scale of the complexity of TLA inflectional system is also measured using the Principal-Parts Analyzer (PPA) computational tool. TLA conjugations reveal a synchronic morphomic patterning which shows sensitivity to extramorphological factors. The TLA semi-autonomous morphology is reflected by stem referencing features that provide the base for stem indexing possibilities which in turn can define TLA inflectional classes in the absence of the affix allomorphy. The results of principal parts analysis reveal that verb inflectional complexity of TLA as a Semitic language is as morphologically complex as concatenative stem based systems, posing serious empirical problems for any justifications for a unique distinctive non-concatenative morpheme-based account

A typological and diachronic study

The syllable is a natural unit of organization in spoken language whose strongest cross-linguistic patterns are often explained in terms of a universal preference for the CV structure. Syllable patterns involving long sequences of consonants are both typologically rare and theoretically marginalized, with few approaches treating these as natural or unproblematic structures. This book is an investigation of the properties of languages with highly complex syllable patterns. The two aims are (i) to establish whether these languages share other linguistic features in common such that they constitute a distinct linguistic type, and (ii) to identify possible diachronic paths and natural mechanisms by which these patterns come about in the history of a language. These issues are investigated in a diversified sample of 100 languages, 25 of which have highly complex syllable patterns

Towards a clinical assessment of acquired speech dyspraxia.

No standardised assessment exists for the recognition and quantification of acquired speech dyspraxia (also called apraxia of speech, AS). This thesis aims to work towards development of such an assessment based on perceptual features. Review of previous features claimed to characterise AS and differentiate it from other acquired pronunciation problems (dysarthrias; phonemic paraphasia - PP) has proved negative. Reasons for this have been explored. A reconceptualisation of AS is attempted based on physical studies of AS, PP and the dysarthrias; their position and relationship within coalitional models of speech production; by comparison with normal action control and other dyspraxias. Contrary to the view of many it is concluded that AS and PP are dyspraxias (albeit different types). However, due to the interactive nature of speech-language production and behaviour of the vocal tract as a functional whole AS is unlikely to be distinguishable in an absolute fashion based on single speech characteristics. Rather it is predicted that pronunciation disordered groups will differ relatively on total error profiles and susceptibility to associated effects (variability; propositionality; struggle; length-complexity; latency-utterance times). Using a prototype battery and refined error transcription and analysis procedures a series of studies test predictions on three groups: spastic dysarthrics (n = 6) AS and PP without (n = 12) and with (n = 12) dysphasia. The main conclusions do not support the error profile hypotheses in any straightforward manner. Length-complexity effects and latency-utterance times fail to consistently separate groups. Variability, propositionality and struggle proved the most reliable indicators. Error profiles remain the closest indicators of speakers' intelligibility and therapeutic goals. The thesis argues for a single case approach to differential diagnosis and alternative statistical analyses to capture individual and group differences. Suggestions for changes to the prototype clinical battery and data management to effect optimal speaker differentiation conclude the work

Mathematical linguistics

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