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Chapter 5. On silent markedness

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Abstract

Empty categories – positions in phonological representations that have no direct phonetic counterpart – are (still) controversial in phonological theory. In this paper we give the main arguments for assuming such positions and we furthermore establish a markedness hierarchy for empty positions: some of them are stronger (‘more marked’) than others, and we can derive this from a combination of Element Theory and Turbidity Theory. We illustrate our point with Italian and Dutch dialects, and point out that the phonological hierarchy of empty positions may correspond to a hierarchy of syntactic positions.

Abstract

Empty categories – positions in phonological representations that have no direct phonetic counterpart – are (still) controversial in phonological theory. In this paper we give the main arguments for assuming such positions and we furthermore establish a markedness hierarchy for empty positions: some of them are stronger (‘more marked’) than others, and we can derive this from a combination of Element Theory and Turbidity Theory. We illustrate our point with Italian and Dutch dialects, and point out that the phonological hierarchy of empty positions may correspond to a hierarchy of syntactic positions.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Introduction ix
  5. Chapter 1. Markedness in substance-free and substance-dependent phonology 1
  6. Chapter 2. Contrast is irrelevant in phonology 23
  7. Chapter 3. What are grammars made of? 47
  8. Chapter 4. Consonant epenthesis and markedness 69
  9. Chapter 5. On silent markedness 101
  10. Chapter 6. The phonetic salience of phonological head-dependent structure in a modulated-carrier model of speech 121
  11. Chapter 7. Markedness and formalising phonological representations 153
  12. Chapter 8. Are there brain bases for phonological markedness? 191
  13. Chapter 9. There is no place for markedness in biologically-informed phonology 219
  14. Index 233
Beyond Markedness in Formal Phonology
This chapter is in the book Beyond Markedness in Formal Phonology
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.241.05van

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Introduction ix
  5. Chapter 1. Markedness in substance-free and substance-dependent phonology 1
  6. Chapter 2. Contrast is irrelevant in phonology 23
  7. Chapter 3. What are grammars made of? 47
  8. Chapter 4. Consonant epenthesis and markedness 69
  9. Chapter 5. On silent markedness 101
  10. Chapter 6. The phonetic salience of phonological head-dependent structure in a modulated-carrier model of speech 121
  11. Chapter 7. Markedness and formalising phonological representations 153
  12. Chapter 8. Are there brain bases for phonological markedness? 191
  13. Chapter 9. There is no place for markedness in biologically-informed phonology 219
  14. Index 233
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