Government phonology
Encyclopedia
Government phonology is a theoretical framework of linguistics
and more specifically of phonology
. The framework aims to provide a non-arbitrary account for phonological phenomena by replacing the rule component of phonology with a restricted set of universal principles and parameters. As in Noam Chomsky
’s principles and parameters
approach to syntax
, the differences in phonological systems across languages are captured through different combinations of parametric settings.
In GP, phonological representations consist of zero (e.g. vowel-zero in French) or more combinations of elements. These elements are the primitives of the theory and are deemed to be universally present in all human phonological systems. They are assumed to correspond to characteristic acoustic signatures in the signal, or hot features as previously referred to.
There are 6 elements believed to be existent across all languages, namely (A), (I), (U), (ʔ), (L) and (H). They represent backness, frontness, roundness, stopness, voicing/nasality and frication/aspiration respectively.
As in French, it is possible to have empty nuclei, marked (_), which are subject to the phonological Empty Category Principle (ECP) . Unlike features, each element is a monovalent
, and potentially interpretable phonological expression. Its actual interpretation depends on what phonological constituent dominates it, and whether it occupies a head or operator position within a phonological expression.
Today, whilst Optimality Theory has become the dominant theory in phonology, GP continues to develop. Pöchtrager, for example, proposes GP 2.0, another version of GP that strives to further reduce the number of elements by capturing manner of articulation with structure. The full potential of GP awaits to be seen.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and more specifically of phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
. The framework aims to provide a non-arbitrary account for phonological phenomena by replacing the rule component of phonology with a restricted set of universal principles and parameters. As in Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
’s principles and parameters
Principles and parameters
Principles and parameters is a framework within generative linguistics in which the syntax of a natural language is described in accordance with general principles and specific parameters that for particular languages are either turned on or off...
approach to syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
, the differences in phonological systems across languages are captured through different combinations of parametric settings.
In GP, phonological representations consist of zero (e.g. vowel-zero in French) or more combinations of elements. These elements are the primitives of the theory and are deemed to be universally present in all human phonological systems. They are assumed to correspond to characteristic acoustic signatures in the signal, or hot features as previously referred to.
There are 6 elements believed to be existent across all languages, namely (A), (I), (U), (ʔ), (L) and (H). They represent backness, frontness, roundness, stopness, voicing/nasality and frication/aspiration respectively.
As in French, it is possible to have empty nuclei, marked (_), which are subject to the phonological Empty Category Principle (ECP) . Unlike features, each element is a monovalent
Valency (linguistics)
In linguistics, verb valency or valence refers to the number of arguments controlled by a verbal predicate. It is related, though not identical, to verb transitivity, which counts only object arguments of the verbal predicate...
, and potentially interpretable phonological expression. Its actual interpretation depends on what phonological constituent dominates it, and whether it occupies a head or operator position within a phonological expression.
Today, whilst Optimality Theory has become the dominant theory in phonology, GP continues to develop. Pöchtrager, for example, proposes GP 2.0, another version of GP that strives to further reduce the number of elements by capturing manner of articulation with structure. The full potential of GP awaits to be seen.