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Mid vowel fronting in Ukrainian

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2005

Jerzy Rubach
Jerzy Rubach
Affiliation:
University of Iowa and University of Warsaw
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Abstract

This article investigates the process of o-fronting in Ukrainian and claims that it should be analysed as an effect of PAL-e, a constraint mandating that the consonant and the vowel agree in backness. The operation of PAL-e is opaque, due to the interaction with a depalatalisation process applying before [ε]. The analysis establishes four points of theoretical interest. First, from a typological perspective, PAL-e parallels PAL-i, postulated by Rubach (2000a) for Russian, which strengthens the contention that PAL constraints should be stated as agreement constraints that bring under the same denominator the palatalisation of consonants and the fronting of vowels. Second, the opacity of o-fronting cannot be analysed by appealing to MAX[F] constraints. Third, sympathy theory cannot handle the data either. Fourth, Optimality Theory must be modified to admit derivational levels.

Type
Research Article
Information
Phonology , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , May 2005 , pp. 1 - 36
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

I would like to thank the three reviewers, an associate editor and the editors of Phonology for their discussion and criticism, which have led to considerable improvement of both the content and the presentation of my analysis. I am also very grateful to my Ukrainian consultants: Oleg Alexeyev, Viktoria Alexeyev, Valentyna Arkhelynk, Michal Bilynsky, Maria Demchuk, Olha Drozdiak, Natalia Habor, Oleksandra Harmatij, Olha Harmatij, Iryna Havrykh, Olha Horbova, Vanda Ilyeva, Evheniya Kozlovska, Borys Potiatynyk, Uliana Potiatynyk, Kataryna Rashkvich, Vira Sheptak, Olha Verbovecka and Olha Vivchar. However, let me add that the responsibility for this article is solely mine.