Positional Neutralization - Linguistics - University of California ...

know of the relevant phonetic facts, while section 5 presents the results of an
experimental study of vowel durations in Turkish demonstrating the possibility of a non-
accentual origin for additional duration on the vowels of initial syllables, and sets forth a
model for how this additional duration could contribute to the phonologization of the
harmonic strength effects associated with that position.
4.1. Recent work involving the phonology of the initial syllable
The most comprehensive recent treatments of phonological licensing patterns
involving initial syllables are to be found in Beckman’s 1998 study of Positional
Faithfulness and Smith’s 2002 study of Positional Augmentation. These present
catalogues and important analyses of initial-syllable strength effects for both consonants
and vowels. Beckman treats only Positional Faithfulness or phonological strength effects
in initial syllables, while Smith is concerned with both these and phonological weakness
effects. Smith refers to restrictions on the licensing of contrasts in otherwise
phonologically strong positions as Positional Augmentation, since in all cases these stem
from phonetic strengthening processes charged with increasing the perceptual
prominence of the position in question. She contrasts Positional Augmentation effects
with phonological strength effects in these same positions, which she calls Positional
Neutralization effects , though in the now-generic usage derived from Steriade 1994 both
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