Similarity and contrast in segmental phonology

Abstract

It is well-known that both similarity and contrast play an important role in language. What is much less clear, however, is why one aspect of language is sensitive to similarity while another is under the sway of contrast. This article develops a theory that allows one to predict under which circumstances similarity wins out over contrast and vice versa. Five diverse areas of language, to wit language structure, change, use, acquisition, and loss are scrutinized in an effort to erect this theory on a fairly broad empirical basis. In all of these areas, the paradigmatic axis is found to generate similarity effects whereas the syntagmatic axis gives rise to both similarity and contrast. Whether similarity or contrast prevails on the syntagmatic dimension depends on the linear distance between the critical units. When these are very close together, contrast predominates. With increasing distance, however, contrast gives way to similarity, with a hypersimilarity effect occurring briefly in between. These results are interpreted within a model in which linguistic structure and change are understood as a response to processing strategies and biases. The representational side of the model provides a measure of determining similarity and contrast relationships between linguistic units, whereas the processing side is responsible for the strength of similarity and contrast in specific constellations. While the theory is detailed for the phonological domain, it holds the potential of being more widely applicable.