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5 - Phonologically Conditioned Alternations

from Part 1 - Prosody and Phonology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

By
Darya Kavitskaya
Edited by
Danko Šipka  and
Wayles Browne
Danko Šipka
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Wayles Browne
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

This chapter provides an overview of phonologically conditioned synchronic alternations representative of Slavic languages. The vocalic processes covered are vowel reduction and resulting phonological neutralization patterns in unstressed syllables, vowel-zero alternations, alternations in vowel quantity due to compensatory lengthening or to rhythmic requirements, and alternations in vowel quality, such as fronting/backing and raising/lowering. The consonantal processes discussed include alternations in voicing, such as voicing assimilation and word-final devoicing, and palatalization before front vowels and as a result of assimilation in a consonant cluster. Some language-specific alternations are also discussed.

Keywords

vowel reductionpalatalizationvowel-zero alternationscompensatory lengtheningword-final devoicingvoicing assimilationpalatalization assimilation
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics , pp. 87 - 103
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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