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Some General Properties of Phonological Rules

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2026

Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky*
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Abstract

As the study of phonology has progressed, within the framework of generative grammar, certain principles have emerged governing the form and organization of phonological rules, and the manner in which these rules are to be interpreted. Several such principles are presented, with illustrative examples, from English, indicating the kind of evidence that supports them. Some possible alternatives are also discussed. Certain of these principles are quite abstract, and impose fairly heavy restrictions on the form and interpretation of grammars. If correct, they restrict the class of ‘possible human languages’ in non-trivial ways. The broader context in which these principles might have more general relevance is briefly touched on.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , March 1967 , pp. 102 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © 1967 by Linguistic Society of America

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Footnotes

*

This paper was written while the author was a visiting member of the Department of English, University of California, Berkeley, California.

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