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http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5335
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| Title: | Loanword Adaptation: A study of some Australian Aboriginal Languages |
| Authors: | McManus, Hope Department of Linguistics |
| Keywords: | Linguistics Australian Indigenous languages phonology Martu Wangka Gamilaraay Warlpiri Optimality Theory loanword phonology |
| Issue Date: | 10-Aug-2009 |
| Series/Report no.: | November 2008 |
| Abstract: | This thesis is a case study of some aspects of the adaptation of English words in several Australian Aboriginal languages, including Martu Wangka, Gamilaraay and Warlpiri. I frame my analysis within Smith’s (to appear) source-similarity model of loanword adaptation. This model exploits loanword-specific faithfulness constraints that impose maximal similarity between the perceived source form and its corresponding loan. Using this model, I show that the conflict of the relevant prosodic markedness constraints and loanword-specific faithfulness constraints drives adaptation. Vowel epenthesis, the most frequent adaptation strategy, allows the recoverability of a maximal amount of information about the source form and ensures that the loan conforms to the constraints of language-internal phonological grammar. Less frequent strategies including deletion and substitution occur in a restricted environment. The essence of the present analysis is minimal violation, a principle that governs loanword adaptation as well as other areas of phonology. |
| Description: | Supervised by Toni Borowsky |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5335 |
| Department/Unit/Centre: | Department of Linguistics |
| Type of Work: | Thesis, Honours |
| Appears in Collections: | Honours Theses |
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