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Place Specification and Segmental Distribution in the Acquisition of Word-Final Consonant Syllabification

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Yvan Rose
Yvan Rose*
Affiliation:
Memorial University
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Abstract

This article focusses on data from two first language learners of Québec French, Clara and Théo. In both corpora, all word-final consonants are acquired before word-medial codas, except Clara’s [ʁ], which is acquired at the same time as medial codas. The behaviour of Clara’s [ʁ] is explained through the hypothesis that it is analysed by the child as placeless and that, in the unmarked case, place-specified consonants are syllabified word-finally as onsets, while placeless consonants are syllabified as codas. Supporting cross-linguistic evidence is provided from adult languages and from the acquisition of Japanese. Finally, data on the acquisition of Spanish are discussed. Based on distributional evidence, it is suggested that these learners of Spanish posit a coda syllabification for the word-final, place-specified coronal consonants of their language. These data support the view that default options are overridden when positive evidence steers the learner toward more marked options.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article est basé sur les données de Clara et Théo, deux apprenants du français québécois, langue première. Dans ces deux corpus, les consonnes finales sont acquises avant les codas en milieu de mot, sauf le [ʁ] de Clara, acquis en même temps que ces codas. Il est proposé que le [ʁ] de Clara est dépourvu de lieu d’articulation et que, par défaut, les consonnes finales avec lieu d’articulation sont syllabées en attaque, tandis que les consonnes sans articulateur sont syllabées en coda. Cette analyse est motivée indépendamment à partir de langues adultes et de données sur l’acquisition du japonais. Finalement, des données sur l’acquisition de l’espagnol sont discutées, lesquelles suggèrent, sur la base d’indices distributionnels, que les apprenants de l’espagnol syllabent les consonnes coronales finales en coda. Ces données appuient l’hypothèse selon laquelle les options de défaut sont supplantées lorsque des indices positifs amènent l’apprenant à sélectionner des options plus marquées.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 48 , Issue 3-4 , December 2003 , pp. 409 - 435
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 2003

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