Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The generative power of feature geometry

  • Published:
Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a formalization of the common structure underlying different proposals concerning the geometry of phonological features. Using the concepts and tools of elementary set theory, lattice theory, and the theory of independent Boolean algebras, ametatheory of autosegmental feature structure is developed. This metatheory enables us to compare contemporary autosegmental phonology to the now abandoned “standard” phonology and to the historically important Pānini-type phonology as well, and to investigate the restrictions on the use of features in phonological theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D. Archangeli, Yokuts harmony: evidence for coplanar representation in nonlinear phonology, Linguistic Inquiry 16(1985)335–372.

    Google Scholar 

  2. D. Archangeli and D. Pulleyblank,The Content and Structure of Phonological Representations (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  3. L.R. Bahl, P.V. de Souza, P.S. Gopalakrishnan, D. Nahamoo and M.A. Picheny, Decision trees for phonological rules in continuous speech, in:ICASSP-91, Toronto (1991) pp. 185–188.

  4. G. Cardona, On Pānini's morphophonemic principles. Language 41(1965)225–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. C. Cherry, Roman Jakobson's distinctive features as the normal coordinates of a language, in:For Roman Jakobson, ed. M. Halle (Mouton, The Hague, 1956).

    Google Scholar 

  6. C. Cherry,On Human Communication (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1957).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. C. Cherry, M. Halle and R. Jakobson, Toward a logical description of languages in their phonemic aspect, Language 29(1953)34–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. N. Chomsky,Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  9. N. Chomsky and M. Halle,The Sound Pattern of English (Harper & Row, New York, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  10. G.N. Clements, The geometry of phonological features, Phonology Yearbook 2(1985)225–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. G.N. Clements, Phonological feature representation and the description of intrusive stops, in:CLS Parasession on Autosegmental and Metrical Phonology, Vol. 23, ed. A. Bosch, B. Need and E. Schiller (1987) pp. 29–50.

  12. A. Ehrenfeucht, private communication.

  13. V.A. Fromkin and R. Rodrnan,An Introduction to Language (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  14. J.A. Goldsmith,Autosegmental and Metrical Phonology (Basil Blackwell, Cambridge, MA, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  15. M. Grammont, La dissimilation consonatique dans les languages indo-européennes et dans les langauges romanes, Dijon (1895).

  16. M. Halle, On the bases of phonology, in:The Structure of Language, ed. J.A. Fodor and J. Katz (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1964) pp. 324–333.

    Google Scholar 

  17. M. Halle and P. Ladefoged, Some major features of the International Phonetic Alphabet, Language 64(1988)577–582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. B. Hayes, Inalterability in CV phonology, Language 62(1986)321–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. H. van der Hulst, The geometry of vocalic features, Leiden Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics (1988).

  20. J. Itô, A. Mester, E. Selkirk and H. van der Hulst, Properties of feature organization, Reading materials for NSF-sponsored Workshop BNS-9021357, LSA Linguistic Institute, UC Santa Cruz (1991).

  21. O. Jespersen,Lehrbuch der Phonetik (Teubner, Leipzig, 1904).

    Google Scholar 

  22. W. Leben, Suprasegmental phonology, Ph.D. Thesis, MIT, Cambridge, MA (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  23. J.J. McCarthy, Feature geometry and dependency: a review, Phonetica 45(1988)84–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. E.C. Sagey, The representation of features and relations in non-linear phonology, Ph.D. Thesis, MIT (1986).

  25. W. Sandler, Sequentiality and simultaneity in American Sign Language phonology, Ph.D. Thesis, The University of Texas at Austin (1987).

  26. B. Schein and D. Steriade, On geminates, Linguistic Inquiry 17(1986)691–744.

    Google Scholar 

  27. J.F. Staal, A method of linguistic description: the order of consonants according to Pānini, Language 38(1962)1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. K.N. Stevens and S.E. Blumstein, The search for invariant acoustic correlates of phonetic features, in:Perspectives on the Study of Speech, ed. P. Eimas and J. Miller (Lawrence Erlebaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSLI, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, CA, USA

    András Kornai

Authors
  1. András Kornai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This paper benefited a great deal from the comments of the participants at MOL2, Paul Kiparsky, and an anonymous reviewer — all remaining errors are my own.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kornai, A. The generative power of feature geometry. Ann Math Artif Intell 8, 37–46 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451548

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451548

Keywords

Search

Navigation