The Phonology of Turkish

Book excerpt: This book offers a comprehensive account of the phonological structure of modern Turkish within the framework of recent linguistic models. While phenomena at both the segmental and suprasegmental levels are discussed, the emphasis is on the latter, with analysis of phonological processes that extend over a number of different domains. Lower-level prosodic constituents, including syllables, feet, and prosodic words, are incorporated into a general theory alongside higher-level constituents - the phonological phrase and the intonational phrase - on the assumption that phonological structure is hierarchical in nature and that phonological representations consist of more than a single linear sequence of segments. The approach employed here draws on theories of both representation - Prosodic Phonology and Autosegmental Phonology - and computation, in the form of Optimality Theory. An overarching theme that emerges in every chapter is that not only regular but also apparently “exceptional” phonological forms demonstrate a systematic pattern, and that both can be captured by the same grammar. The volume provides a critical synthesis of research in Turkish phonology, as well as offering new analyses and data from a theoretically-oriented perspective.