The contrastive hierarchy in phonology 2009 Dresher.pdf - CUNY ...

(8.32) Format for marking statements (Calabrese 1988, 1994)
*[αF, βG] / [ _____, X]
means that [βG] is not permitted in the context of a segment
bearing [αF] and X, where F, G, are features; α, β, are + or –; and X
is a set of feature specifications.
For example, *[+back, –round] / [ _____, –low] means that [–round] is not
permitted on a segment specified [–low, +back]. These statements can be
overridden in particular grammars, resulting in marked segments. The
markedness statements (implicitly) encode a hierarchy of features against which
contrast is assessed, in that feature G has a marked value in the context of F and
X. Such a statement presupposes, in our terms, that F and the features that
constitute X are ordered ahead of G; in this example, the ordering is [low] >
[back] > [round]. Calabrese (2005: 126) proposes that the ordering of most of the
features can be derived from the robustness scale proposed by Clements (2004).
Calabrese observes that, to the extent that the features are ordered by
independent principles, it is not necessary to designate feature G as the
dependent feature by means of an underscore; the notation can thus be
simplified to *[αF, βG]/...
Calabrese's approach to markedness statements is not only hierarchical,
but also has a binary aspect, evident in the format adopted for marking
statements. According to Calabrese (1994: 42), ‘by restricting the focus of the
statement to only two features, we capture the intuition that the basic
relationships between feature specifications involve pairings of features, as
387