Optionality and variation in English: a case of n/ŋ alternation

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Lee, Minkyuog. 2003. Optionality and variation in English: a case of n/? alternation. Studies in Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology 9.1. 149-166. This paper investigates n/? alternation in American English (AE) and British English (BE) and provides a constraint-based Optimality Theoretic account. With the analysis of n/? alternation in English, it is strongly argued that optionality and variation need to be distinguished with respect to each other under Optimality Theory (OT) model. Examining the data of n/? alternation found in both AE and BE, we find that optionality and variation are attributed to different evaluation procedures by different ranking strategies. They cannot be dealt with by the same and a single ranking strategy. One step further, the question why the same data behave differently in AE and BE will be addressed. Interestingly, AE and BE commonly involve optionality (or free variation) and language variation in n/?) alternation. For such multiple output phenomena in a single tableau, reversible ranking (Lee 200 I) will be adopted, which strictly allows reversibility only in cases where two constraints are locally adjacent to each other. Optionality takes place in a single evaluation tableau. Language variation in n/? alternation, however, results from the interaction of two constraints by re-ranking. Each evaluation tableau predicts only a single optimal form. Consequently, optionality and variation reflect difference of constraint interaction by different ranking strategies. (PUFS)

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Previous ranking strategies and optionality
• 3. Reversible ranking and optionality
• 4. Nasal Place Assimilation
• 5. The Constraint-based Analysis
• 6. n/? Alternation as Variation
• 7. Conclusion
• REFERENCES