German Phonology An Optimality-Theoretic Approach

Drawing on an optimality-theoretic framework, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the phonology of German, with its idiosyncratic array of sound patterns. It starts with the consonants and vowels and the distinctive features they consist of, moving on to account for allophonic changes in detail, as well as syllables and their weight units. Phonological processes are then explored in depth, with chapter-length explorations of feet, prosodic words, prosodic phrases, and intonation phrases, showing that the prosodic hierarchy provides the domains of most phonological processes. It also includes discussions of the interfaces of morphology and syntax with phonology, as well as prosodic phrasing and intonation. The constraint-based approach allows a new holistic perspective, simultaneously encompassing all aspects of German phonology. Wide-ranging yet accessible, it is essential reading for advanced students of both linguistics and German, as well as individual scholars seeking a one-stop resource on the topic.

Preface; 1. Introduction: Background and Optimality Theory; Part I. Lower Prosodic Constituents: Moras, Syllables, Feet; 2. The Sounds of German: Phonemes, Allophones, and Distinctive Features; 3. Syllables and Moras; 4. Segmental Alternations; 5. The Foot: Lexical Stress in OT; 6. Schwa and Syllabic Sonorants; Part II. The Higher Prosodic Constituents: Prosodic Words, Prosodic Phrases, and Intonation Phrases; 7. The Prosodic Word; 8. Prosodic Phrasing; 9. Intonation Phrase and Tonal Structure; 10. Conclusion and Survey of the OT Constraints Used in the Book; References; Index.

Caroline Féry is Emerita Professor of Phonology at the University of Frankfurt. Her main domain of research lies in prosodic phonology and its interface with syntax and semantics. Recent publications include Intonation and Prosodic Structure (Cambridge University Press, 2016).