On the Distribution of Neutral Tone in Southern Min: LCC and Beyond

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3765/amp.v10i0.5418

Keywords:

Syntax–Phonology interface, Lexical Category Condition, tone sandhi domain, neutral tone, prosodic word, Southern Min

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to address an often-overlooked topic in Southern Min tonology: neutral tone. We show that the tone sandhi domain in Southern Min is not always isomorphic with an XP in syntax or a phonological phrase. In fact, this domain may be smaller than what has been predicted, as evidenced in the phrase-final functional morphemes as well as in the rhythmic effect. We propose that the tone sandhi domain in Southern Min is defined by a constituent Tone Sandhi Domain (TSD, τ) between the p-phrase and the p-word. A TSD is required to bear a final prominence, and only a p-word, mapped from a contentive or focused element in syntax, can be a “prominence-bearing unit.”

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Published

2023-05-13