The Phonology of Contrast - Anna Łubowicz
The framework: PC theory
The Phonology of Contrast - Anna Łubowicz
Anna Lubowicz
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Description
This chapter develops a formal theory of contrast, called PC theory (for “preserve contrast”). The proposal is introduced by looking at simple cases of neutralization and preservation, and further applied to chain shift mappings. The key observation is that chain shifts involve contrast transformation where a given underlying contrast is traded for another surface contrast. To account for contrast transformation, PC theory proposes that contrast exists as a primitive in a phonological system formulated as a family of rankable and violable constraints. The predictions of PC theory are discussed and compared with alternatives. One of the core implications is that, unlike previous approaches, PC theory admits push shift mappings.