Segmental Structure and Complex Segments

Book excerpt: This volume offers a theory of phonological structure which pays particular attention to the representation of 'complex segments', such as affricates. The first two chapters are concerned with the primitives needed to express place of articulation in phonological segments. In chapters 3 and 4 the relevance of complex segments to phonological theory is discussed from a general perspective. Chapter 3 also provides a general formalisation of complexity in segmental phonology, namely as branching in the segmental structure. Chapter 5 is concerned with the structure of the other phonological dimension that is investigated, namely manner. The second part of the volume deals with specific studies of segmental complexity on the place and the manner dimension, respectively: chapter 6 is concerned with place complexity, and chapters 7-9 with manner complexity. Chapter 7 deals with affricates, chapter 8 with prenasalised stops and chapter 9 with /s/ plus stop clusters. Chapter 10, finally, discusses a category of segments which combine two root nodes under a single timing position, such as consonants with secondary articulation and short diphthongs.