Underspecification

Underspecification

In theoretical linguistics, underspecification is a phenomenon where certain features are omitted in underlying representations. Restricted underspecification theory holds that features should only be underspecified if their values are predictable. For example, in English, all front vowels (IPA|/i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ/) are unrounded. It is not necessary for these phonemes to include the distinctive feature [−round] , because all [−back] vowels are [-round] vowels, so the distinctive feature is not distinctive if we know the vowel to be front. Radical Underspecification theory, on the other hand, also allows for traditionally binary features to be specified for only one value, where it is assumed that every segment not specified for that value has the other value. For example, instead of the features [+voice] and [−voice] , only [+voice] is specified and voicelessness is taken as the default.

Bibliography

* Harvard reference
Surname=Archangeli
Given=Diana
Year=1988
Title=Aspects of underspecification theory
Journal=Phonology
Volume=5
Pages=183–207
* Harvard reference
Surname1=Itô
Given1=Junko
Surname2=Mester
Given2=Armin
Surname3=Padgett
Given3=Jaye
Year=1995
Title=Licensing and underspecification in optimality theory
Journal=Linguistic Inquiry
Volume=26
Pages=571–613
* Harvard reference
Surname=Mohanan
Given=K. P.
Year=1991
Title=On the bases of radical underspecification
Journal=Natural Language and Linguistic Theory
Volume=9
Pages=285–325
* Harvard reference
Surname=Steriade
Given=Donca
Year=1995
Chapter=Underspecification and markedness
Editor=John A. Goldsmith
Title=The Handbook of Phonological Theory
Place=Oxford
Publisher=Blackwell
Pages=114–174
ISBN=0-631-180692-1

External links

* [http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/chorus/utool/ Utool: The Swiss Army Knife of Underspecification] (developed within the CHORUS project at [http://www.uni-saarland.de/en "Saarland University"] by [http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~koller/ "Alexander Koller"] , [http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/~stth/ "Stefan Thater"] , and [http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/~regneri/ "Michaela Regneri"] )


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