从特征赋值看英语音节首/sp/的音系实体

Analysis of the Phonological Reality of the English Syllable-initial /sp /in Light of Feature Specification

由于英语音节首/sp/音段序列违反了具有普遍意义的响音度序列原则(SSP),长期来,音系学界对/sp/序列的音系实体解读一直存有争议。文章运用特征赋值理论和特征几何理论,认为英语音节首的/sp/是一个复杂音段。文章分析了大量跨语言语料复杂音段的特征几何结构,阐述了/sp/作为一个复杂音段的音系理据。就其音系特征结构而言,/sp/可以是一个咝塞音。如同有些语言的前鼻音化塞音(/mp/)一样,音节首的/sp/作为一个复杂音并不违反SSP原则。

There have been for long controversial interpretations of the phonological reality of the syllable-initial/sp/ in English because the segmental sequence of/sp/violates SSP. In light of theories of feature specification and feature geometry, this paper argues that the English syllable-initial/sp/is in fact a complex segment. After examining the feature-geometrical structures of cross-linguistic complex segments, the paper presents the phonological motivation for the complex segment of/sp/and assumes that/sp/is a pre-sibilized plosive which, as a complex segment, does not violate SSP like a pre-nasalized plosive （/mp/） in other languages.