Throughout the history of phonology, there have been numerous attempts to explain the phenomenon of vowel fronting in German. Even OT is left with a number of problems when tackling German vowel fronting - because the process seems to originate from around the interface of phonology and morphology; because the phenomenon only seems to behave in more or less generalizable patterns; and because there is a lot of inter-speaker and intraspeaker variation.
This paper will start out by describing umlauting and umlaut-triggering conditions in some detail. The description will be followed by a brief overview of the most dominant ideas that had been brought forward in pre-OT literature, and the paper will close with a suggestion of a possible constraint-ranking responsible for umlauting, not forgetting the problems that remain even in an OT-based account.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- I. Introduction
- II. German vowel fronting - the phenomenon
- The fronting vowels
- Under Umlaut-triggering morphological conditions
- a) Plurals
- b) Suffixation
- c) Comparative (& Superlative)
- d) Diminutive
- III. Literature overview
- IV. A tentative OT-account
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of vowel fronting (umlaut) in German, examining its complexities and inconsistencies within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). The paper will first describe the process, then review existing linguistic analyses, culminating in a proposed OT constraint-ranking to account for umlaut.
- Description of German vowel fronting and its irregularities.
- Analysis of umlaut-triggering morphological conditions.
- Review of pre-OT and OT-based accounts of umlaut.
- Presentation of a tentative OT constraint-ranking for umlaut.
- Discussion of the remaining challenges in explaining umlaut.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
I. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage by highlighting the historical challenges in explaining German vowel fronting (umlaut) within phonological frameworks, including Optimality Theory (OT). It emphasizes the complexities introduced by the process's apparent origin at the morphology-phonology interface, its inconsistent patterns, and significant inter- and intra-speaker variation. The chapter previews the paper's structure: a detailed description of umlaut, a review of existing theories, and a proposed OT-based solution, acknowledging persistent problems.
II. German vowel fronting - the phenomenon: This chapter provides a comprehensive description of German vowel fronting. It meticulously details which vowels undergo fronting and their resulting counterparts, noting irregularities in the fronting of /a/ and /a:/ (higher, not exact front counterparts), and /aʊ/ (both parts changing to /ɔy/). The chapter explains these irregularities through underspecification of /a/ and /a:/ for [low] and by invoking rounding assimilation for /aʊ/. The chapter then outlines the morphological conditions triggering umlaut, clarifying that it affects only the rightmost vowel of the stem and noting the invisibility of schwa in this process. Numerous examples are provided illustrating umlaut in plural formation, suffixation, comparative/superlative formation, and diminutive formation, highlighting exceptions and the significant inter- and intra-speaker variations.
III. Literature overview: This chapter surveys existing literature on German umlaut, noting a consensus on its morphology-driven nature despite attempts to explain it phonologically and the concept of a floating [-back] or [front] feature. It discusses the disagreement on whether this feature resides in the stem or suffix. The chapter reviews ZWICKY's generative approach, LIEBER's rule-based classification of umlaut environments (conditioning, variable, inflectional), highlighting the problems of heavy allomorphy in Lieber's model. Finally, it contrasts WIESE's approach, which locates the floating feature on the stem ([front]), distinguishing between alternating, back, and front vowels to account for the non-umlaut of certain back vowels but failing to explain other inconsistencies. The chapter concludes by mentioning a small-scale study revealing significant intra-speaker variation and the apparent unproductive nature of umlaut for loanwords.
IV. A tentative OT-account: This chapter presents a tentative Optimality Theory (OT) account of umlaut using FERY's explanation (as presented by BRANDSTÖTTER) and the example word *Doktörchen*. It introduces constraints such as FOOTFORM (trochaic feet), PARSEFEAT (parsing all input features), FILLLINK (all association lines are part of the input), and NOCROSSING (association lines do not cross). The chapter explores how these constraints interact and influence the umlaut process, particularly emphasizing the crucial ranking of FILLLINK to allow umlaut to occur, while NOCROSSING prevents overapplication. The chapter also alludes to the limitations of this OT model and further challenges.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
German vowel fronting, umlaut, Optimality Theory (OT), morphology-phonology interface, floating features, constraint ranking, inter-speaker variation, intra-speaker variation, morphological conditioning, allomorphy, irregularity, phonological processes.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Tentative OT-Account of German Umlaut
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper explores the phenomenon of vowel fronting (umlaut) in German, examining its complexities and inconsistencies within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). It aims to provide a comprehensive description of umlaut, review existing linguistic analyses, and propose a tentative OT constraint-ranking to account for this complex linguistic process.
What aspects of German umlaut are covered in the paper?
The paper covers a wide range of aspects, including a detailed description of the umlaut process itself, specifying which vowels are affected and the resulting changes. It analyzes the morphological conditions that trigger umlaut (plural formation, suffixation, comparative/superlative formation, diminutive formation), highlighting irregularities and variations. The paper also reviews existing linguistic literature, including pre-OT and OT-based accounts, and presents a proposed OT-based solution using specific constraints.
What are the key challenges in explaining German umlaut?
The paper highlights several key challenges. These include the inconsistencies in the fronting of certain vowels (/a/, /a:/, /aʊ/), significant inter- and intra-speaker variation in umlaut application, and the apparent unproductive nature of umlaut for loanwords. The paper also addresses the complex interaction between morphology and phonology in the umlaut process, and the difficulty in capturing these intricacies within existing theoretical frameworks.
What theoretical framework is used to analyze German umlaut?
The paper primarily employs Optimality Theory (OT) as its theoretical framework. The proposed OT account utilizes constraints such as FOOTFORM, PARSEFEAT, FILLLINK, and NOCROSSING to model the interaction of morphological and phonological factors influencing umlaut. The ranking of these constraints is crucial in determining the outcome of the umlaut process.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into four main chapters: an introduction outlining the challenges and previewing the paper's structure; a detailed description of German vowel fronting; a review of existing literature on umlaut; and a presentation of a tentative OT account, including a discussion of its limitations and remaining challenges.
What are the main findings of the literature review?
The literature review reveals a consensus on the morphology-driven nature of umlaut, despite previous attempts at purely phonological explanations. It highlights disagreements regarding the location of a floating feature ([-back] or [front]) and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, including ZWICKY's generative approach, LIEBER's rule-based classification, and WIESE's approach focusing on stem-based floating features. The review also acknowledges the significant intra-speaker variation and the unproductive nature of umlaut for loanwords.
What is the proposed OT account of umlaut?
The proposed OT account utilizes a set of constraints to model the umlaut process. The crucial constraint is FILLLINK, which allows umlaut to occur by ensuring all association lines are part of the input. NOCROSSING prevents overapplication of umlaut. The interaction and ranking of these constraints, along with others like FOOTFORM and PARSEFEAT, are crucial in determining the outcome of the umlaut process. The paper acknowledges that this is a tentative model and further research is needed.
What are the limitations of the proposed OT model?
The paper explicitly acknowledges the limitations of its proposed OT model. It highlights that the model is tentative and requires further refinement to fully account for the complexities and inconsistencies of German umlaut. Further research is needed to address the remaining challenges in explaining all aspects of this intricate phonological process.
- Citation du texte
- Michael Helten (Auteur), 2005, On Vowel Fronting in German, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/57027
