Reading quiz qns

1. Which of the following best characterizes Generative Grammar?
2. In the underlying representation of lexical items, every feature is specified for every segment (phone). T/F?
   1. False
3. Which of the following correctly represents the symbols for word boundary, morpheme boundary, and null?
   1. # / + / Ø
4. On the SPE Generative Grammar view of language, how do different languages differ?
   1. different algorithm
5. Any phonological rule can only change one feature value. T/F?
   1. F (see catalan)

Generative Grammar

Focus on deriving surface pronunciations from underlying forms.

What it means to know a language:

• know a set of UR
• know it’s rules
• correctly apply (aka derive) the surface representations (SR)

Derivations are applied sequentially in the process of language assembly in the grammar factory.

1. Lexicon warehouse of morphemes
2. Syntax assembly: Morphemes are put into words/sentences
3. Phonological assembly: rules are applied individually in sequence

Underspecification: Some feature speicifications are redundant

A language is a process/algorithm that generates SRs from a set of URs concatenated in various ways.

SPE notation (Sound Pattern of English)

• Word boundary: #
• Morpheme boundary: +
• Syllable boundary: $
• Null: Ø

A -> B / C _ D

A -> B: Rule Formalism. (-> represents “become” or “are”)

/ : in the environment of

C _ D: the preceding/following environment

$V_0$: The subscript $0$ means zero or more

$(C)$: The brackets means either/or.

Derivations: UR to SR

Do the rules need to be ordered?

If the UR to output produces different outputs with different orders, then

• the rules interact
• Yes you have to impose order.