和谐串行理论视角下的英语辅音脱落现象研究

Consonant Deletion in English from the Perspective of Harmonic Serialism

和谐串行理论是近几年来兴起的一种带推导的优选论理论。研究首先介绍和阐释了和谐串行理论的基本原则和理论框架,其次基于形态-音系框架以英语舌冠塞音[t, d]的词中脱落和词尾脱落为例,探讨英语辅音音段脱落现象,提出英语舌冠塞音脱落的音系理据,发现英语辅音音段在发生脱落之前会经历多个中间步骤。研究指出了基于规则推导模式的经典生成音系学理论和并行优选论,以及在辅音音段脱落分析中存在的问题。和谐串行理论严格遵循渐变性原则对生成器产出的候选项集合加以限制,允许从底层到表层的多步骤循环的串行推导,充分体现了候选项的和谐性提升过程,可以更好地描写和解释英语舌冠塞音[t, d]脱落的音系过程。最后,总结并简要说明和谐串行理论在分析英语辅音音段脱落现象时的特点和主要发现。

Harmonic Serialism(HS) is a derivational Optimality Theory advanced in recent years. Using the comparative method, this paper firstly introduces and explains the basics and framework of Harmonic Serialism, and illustrates its analytic method with the deletion of consonants in English. Secondly, based on the morpho-phonological framework, the research takes coronal stops [t, d] in English as examples, and the phenomenon of consonant deletion in English and the related phonological explanations of consonant deletion in English are discussed. It’s argued that the coronal stops go through multiple intermediate steps before the surface form. It points out the dilemma faced in the analyses of rule-based phonology and parallels Optimality theory. HS strictly observes the principle of gradualness when its Gen generates the candidate set, and thus, the phonological mappings from underlying form to surface form fully reflect the process of harmonic improvement of the candidate. HS can better describe the phonological process of consonant deletion in English. Finally, it summarizes and briefly explains the characteristics and main findings of HS in analyzing the phenomenon of consonant deletion in English.