Emergent Phonology: Evidence from English

Abstract

This paper argues in favor of a serious consideration of Emergent Grammar, the hypothesis that language is acquired with only minimal benefit of an innate language-specific endowment. After reviewing arguments in favor of Emergence based on the challenge of mapping sounds to features and on highly individual (and sometimes) covert articulatory patterns, we turn to an exploration of Canadian Raising and its interaction with Flapping. The discussion demonstrates that an Emergent Grammar account of these facts is possible and that it accounts for the patterns as effectively, if not more effectively, than a rule-based or a constraint-based alternative. It also provides a model for phonological and morphological analysis under Emergent Grammar.