The phonological mind / Iris Berent.

"Humans instinctively form words by weaving patterns of meaningless speech elements. Moreover, we do so in specific, regular ways. We contrast dogs and gods, favour blogs to lbogs. We begin forming sound-patterns at birth and, like songbirds, we do so spontaneously, even in the absence of an adult model. We even impose these phonological patterns on invented cultural technologies such as reading and writing. But why are humans compelled to generate phonological patterns? And why do different phonological systems - signed and spoken - share aspects of their design? Drawing on findings from a broad range of disciplines including linguistics, experimental psychology, neuroscience and comparative animal studies, Iris Berent explores these questions and proposes a new hypothesis about the architecture of the phonological mind"-- Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Print version record.

Figures; Tables; Copyright acknowledgements; Preface; Part 1 Introduction; 1 Genesis; 2 Instinctive phonology; 2.1 People possess knowledge of sound patterns; 2.2 Productivity; 2.3 Regenesis; 2.3.1 Case 1: the birth of phonology in the Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language; 2.3.2 Case 2: phonological patterning in home signs; 2.4 Shared design; 2.4.1 Broad principles of phonological patterning: phonology is a combinatorial system designed to optimize phonetic pressures; 2.4.1.1 Two types of information processing systems: combinatorial vs. blending systems.

2.4.1.2 The systematicity-transmissibility dilemma2.4.1.3 Phonological patterns combine discrete building blocks, distinct from their phonetic raw materials; 2.4.1.4 Phonological principles are combinatorial and autonomous from phonetic pressures; 2.4.2 Specific design principles: shared primitives and combinatorial constraints; 2.5 Unique design; 2.5.1 Negotiating productivity and channel pressures in animal communication; 2.5.2 Phonology and music: similar channels, different designs; 2.6 Phonological knowledge lays the foundation for the cultural invention of writing and reading.

3 The anatomy of the phonological mind3.1 The phonological grammar is a core algebraic system; 3.1.1 The phonological grammar is an algebraic system; 3.1.1.1 Mental representations are discrete symbols; 3.1.1.2 Complex representations and structure-sensitive processes; 3.1.1.3 The role of variables; 3.1.1.4 Summary; 3.2 Phonology is a core system; 3.3 Domain-general and non-algebraic alternatives; 3.3.1 Against algebraic phonology; 3.3.1.1 The phonology-phonetics continuity; 3.3.1.2 The success of connectionism; 3.3.2 Against specialized phonology.

3.3.2.1 Typological vs. grammatical universals3.3.2.2 The role of experience in language acquisition; 3.3.2.3 The contribution of domain-general mechanisms; 3.3.2.4 Shared organizational principles: phonology vs. music; 3.4 Rebuttals and open questions; 3.4.1 Algebraic phonology reconsidered; 3.4.2 Why core phonology merits a closer look; 3.5 A roadmap; Part 2 Algebraic phonology; 4 How phonological categories are represented: the role of equivalence classes; 4.1 What are phonological patterns made of?; 4.2 The role of syllables.

4.2.1 Some evidence consistent with representation of syllable-like units4.2.2 What is represented: word chunks or an abstract syllabic category?; 4.2.3 Dissociating syllables and their statistical correlates; 4.2.3.1 Illusory conjunctions reconsidered; 4.2.3.2 The effect of syllable frequency; 4.3 The dissociations between consonants and vowels; 4.3.1 People encode CV skeleton; 4.3.2 Consonants and vowels are favored by different learning mechanisms; 4.3.3 Consonants and vowels are selectively impaired in aphasia; 4.4 Conclusions and caveats.

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide