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Variation and opacity in Singapore English consonant clusters*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2008

Arto Anttila ,
Vivienne Fong ,
Štefan Beňuš  and
Jennifer Nycz
Arto Anttila
Affiliation:
Stanford University
Vivienne Fong
Affiliation:
Stanford University
Štefan Beňuš
Affiliation:
Constantine the Philosopher University & Slovak Academy of Sciences
Jennifer Nycz
Affiliation:
New York University
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Abstract

Singapore English consonant clusters undergo phonological processes that exhibit variation and opacity. Quantitative evidence shows that these patterns are genuine and systematic. Two main conclusions emerge. First, a small set of phonological constraints yields a typological structure (T-order) that captures the quantitative patterns, independently of specific assumptions about how the grammar represents variation. Second, the evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that phonological opacity has only one source: the interleaving of phonology and morphology.

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Articles
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Phonology , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , August 2008 , pp. 181 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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