A Phonetically-Based Optimality Theoretic Account of Consonant ...

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS
A Phonetically-Based
Optimality Theoretic Account of
Consonant Reduction in Taiwanese
by
Chai-Shune Katrina Hsu
Master of Arts in Linguistics
University of California, Los Angeles, 1995
Professor Patricia A. Keating, Co-Chair
Professor Donca Steriade, Co-Chair
This thesis provides a phonetically-based Optimality Theoretic account of the
behavior of Taiwanese stop consonants. It assumes that speech production represents a
compromise between two opposing goals: Ease of articulation demands gestural reduction;
ease of perception demands gestural preservation. The behavior of Taiwanese stops is
argued to be the result of a particular compromise between these goals; the compromise is
captured in a set of ranked Optimality Theoretic constraints.
The investigation begins with the observation that in intervocalic position, word­
final stops are lenited; this contrasts with word-initial stops which do not lenite in the same
environment. Next, we observe that word-final stops are frequently reduced pre­
consonantally; this may lead to the perception of place assimilation.
The generality of word-final reduction in Taiwanese is accounted for by proposing
a general reduction constraint. A more specific preservation constraint which requires the
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