Course syllabus
Phonology
LING 321, Fall 2016, Reed College
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Time & place:
Office hours:
Sameer ud Dowla Khan
skhan@reed.edu
ext. 4018 (off-campus: 503-517-4018)
Mon/Wed 2:40–4:00PM, in Eliot 121
Wed 11:30AM–1:30PM, Thu 3:30–4:30PM, and by appointment, in Eliot 101C
Introduction
This course explores many of the classic and current topics in sound patterns of the world’s languages, and the
theories and skills used to analyze them. We will briefly review the rule-based approach, covering the psychological
reality of the phoneme, productivity of patterns, and interactions with phonetics, morphology, and syntax. We will
then progress to the more current constraint-based approach, following Optimality Theory, including analyses of
stress patterns, syllable structure, lexical classes, autosegments, infixation, truncation, and reduplication. We will
repeatedly ask ourselves: what do native speakers know about the wellformedness of a phonological string? What
do they know about different classes of words? What do they know about how words are related? Are some
processes more “natural” than others?
Requirements and grading breakdown
Prerequisite:
Introduction to Linguistic Analysis (LING 211)
Textbooks:
Hayes, Bruce (2009). Introductory Phonology. (required, on reserve)
Kager, René (1999). Optimality Theory. (required, on reserve & available online)
Discussion (25%):
Your participation in both class discussion of the readings as well as in-class exercises forms
an integral part of this course.
Problem sets (60%):
You will be given seven problem sets, of which your lowest score will be dropped. These are
meant to be complex, and thus it is highly recommended that you collaborate with your
classmates, and begin at least preliminary work on them as soon as they are handed out. To
keep your workload manageable, these will not be due on the same days as project updates.
Project (25%):
Each student will present a lecture on a topic of their choosing, which may or may not
incorporate data collection. Updates throughout the semester will keep you on schedule.
Policies
Please note that I generally do not accept late work. I am willing to offer partial credit to students who have shown
sincere effort and have an extenuating excuse, although this will be the exception rather than the rule.
I have zero tolerance for plagiarism. Each student must abide by the Reed Honor Principle. While students are very
much encouraged to work with one another, each student’s submitted work must be his/her own.
If you have a documented disability and will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
Disability Support Services at (503) 517-7921 or disability-services@reed.edu as soon as possible.
Class schedule
H: problem set due, R: reading due, Pr: project update due
Week
Day
Date
Lecture topic(s)
Due before class
1
Mon
29 Aug
R: Hayes §2, 3
Wed
31 Aug
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
5 Sep
7 Sep
12 Sep
14 Sep
4
Mon
Wed
19 Sep
21 Sep
Introduction, preview, review
Contrast, allophony, phonemic analysis
Discuss final project
Features, natural classes, assimilation
NO CLASS: Labor Day
Rule interaction, predictability, URs
Psychological reality: productivity
Psychological reality: abstract patterns,
irregular patterns
Boundaries
Non-local triggers
5
Mon
26 Sep
Wed
28 Sep
6
Mon
Wed
3 Oct
5 Oct
7
Mon
10 Oct
Wed
12 Oct
Mon
24 Oct
Wed
26 Oct
9
Mon
Wed
31 Oct
2 Nov
10
Mon
7 Nov
Wed
9 Nov
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
14 Nov
16 Nov
21 Nov
23 Nov
28 Nov
Wed
30 Nov
Mon
Wed
Thu
5 Dec
7 Dec
15 Dec
2
3
Break
8
11
12
13
14
Exam
Constraints and conspiracies
Markedness
Conspiracies across lgs
Faithfulness
Metrical phonology: syllable structure
Factorial typology
The emergence of the unmarked (TETU)
Proposal presentations
Metrical phonology: stress
Metrical phonology: rime weight
NO CLASS: Fall Break
Metrical phonology: onset weight
Segmental phonology
Richness of the base (ROTB)
Autosegmental phonology: tone
Autosegmental phonology: non-tone
Prosodic morphology: infixation
Prosodic morphology: truncation
Prosodic morphology: reduplication
Prosodic morphology: over-/underapplic.
The emergence of the unmarked (TETU)
Lexical phonology: the cycle
Lexical phonology: multiple grammars
Lexical phonology: paradigms
Sign language phonology (Oskar, Gregor)
Loanword adaptation (Willis)
Historical phonology (Manon)
Spoonerisms (Arek)
Saltation, chain shifts
Opacity, course wrap-up
NO CLASS: Reading Week
R: Hayes §4, 6
R: Hayes §7, 8
R: Hayes §9
R: Kernan & Blount 66, Mayol 07
Pr: Mini-proposals to SDK (indiv. sched.)
R: Hayes §10
R: Kaun 04
H: URs and psychological reality (Fri)
R: Kisseberth 70
R: Kager §1, Hayes & Steriade 04
Pr: Formal proposal (Fri)
R: Kager §3
R: Gnanadesikan 95, Kager §4
Pr: Proposal handout (Fri)
Pr: Revised proposal handout
Pr: Proposal handout feedback
H: Metrical phonology (Fri)
R: Gordon 05, Kager §2
R: Hong 01, Hyman 11
H: Segmental phonology (Fri)
R: McCarthy 83
R: Yu 02
H: Autosegmental phonology (Fri)
R: Kager §5.1–5.5
R: Kager §5.6–5.7
H: Infixation (Fri)
R: Kager §6
Pr: Practice lecture (indiv. sched.)
R: Benua 97
R: Mayberry & Eichen 91, Brentari 11
R: Smith 06, Artic Athabaskan Council nd,
Dziebel 2012
R: Erard 07, Harley 06
H: Lexical phonology (Fri)
R: Kager §9
H: Opacity