2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Rendaku: Towards a Hierarchy of Blocking Constraints
Project/Area Number |
26370436
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
Linguistics
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Research Institution | Yamagata University |
Principal Investigator |
Irwin Mark 山形大学, 人文学部, 教授 (40361240)
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Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
|
Keywords | morphology / phonology / morphophonology / Japanese / rendaku / constraints / linguistics |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The phenomenon in Japanese linguistics known as rendaku (e.g. kaiten + sushi = kaitenzushi) is a well-established one, with research going back as far as the late 18th century. Over this time, a number of rules have been formulated most of which have sought to explain why rendaku (which occurs most of the time) fails to do so. These 'constraints' include the famous Motoori/Lyman's Law, where rendaku is blocked by a voiced sound in the second element (e.g. hitsuji never becomes *bitsuji in compounds because of the voiced j), as well as many smaller constraints of varying strength. The goal of this research project was, through running a string of statistical tests on data contained in the Rendaku Database, to construct a 'hierarchy of rules' in an attempt to explain exceptions to rendaku which have previously been inexplicable. In this, the author's were largely, though not completely, successful. More time is required and the research will continue despite the winding up of funding.
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Free Research Field |
linguistics
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