Phonology I: Introduction to Sound Systems

Module code: LIN4210

Credits: 15.0
Semester: SEM2

Contact: Dr Adam Chong
Prerequisite: Before or while taking this module you must take LIN4208

The module is an introduction to the theoretical study of sound systems in the world's languages. We focus on the analysis of phonological data within a linguistically principled framework, and much of our learning will be by 'doing' - thus a large portion of the classroom time and assignments will be spent on data analysis from a wide variety of languages. We will work on extracting patterns from linguistic data, characterizing these patterns and representing them formally. Basic concepts to be covered include phonemes and allophones, distinctive features, natural classes, rule formalism, rule ordering and the difference/relation between underlying (abstract) and surface forms. Other concepts include syllable structure; stress; prosodic structure; and optimality theory. This module is a pre-requisite for LIN312 Unfamiliar Languages.

Connected course(s): UDF DATA
Assessment: 90.0% Coursework, 10.0% Examination
Level: 4