Date of Award
Spring 5-12-2023
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
Restricted/Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Abstract
This paper aims to create an Optimality Theory ranking of tonal phonology constraints in Shanghai Chinese (Shanghainese) monosyllables. Previous research on tonal phonology in Shanghainese preceded the more recent research on Optimality Theory which may provide new principles to justify the language’s tonal phonology system. I use inputs composed of High (H) and Low (L) tone combinations and 8 constraints, (3 faithfulness and 5 markedness constraints) to motivate the distribution of tones in Shanghainese monosyllable in four environments: KV, GV, KVʔ, GVʔ. The faithfulness constraints include DEP, MAX, and IDENT. The markedness constraints include *KL, *GH, POLARITY, [AGREE]ʔ, and *L/ʔ. The [AGREE]ʔ constraint is undominated which produces solely level tone outputs in the KVʔ and GVʔ environment. Contour tone sequences emerge as winners in the KV and GV environment due to the high ranking of POLARITY. The interaction of tone-specific constraints produces 3 languages that correctly correspond to the tone outputs of Shanghainese monosyllables. Shanghainese is metrically sensitive at both the moraic and the syllable level which enriches its tonal phonology analysis. Further research can be conducted on connected speech at the polysyllabic level.
Mentor
Brett Hyde
Recommended Citation
Xu, Jamie, "The Distribution of Tone in Shanghainese Monosyllables: An Optimality Theory Approach" (2023). Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 54.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/undergrad_etd/54
Included in
Applied Linguistics Commons, Language Description and Documentation Commons, Phonetics and Phonology Commons