Gary Linebaugh

Phonetic Grounding and Phonology of Vowel Harmony: Vowel Backness and Vowel Height Harmonies Gary Linebaugh

Many common phonological patterns are grounded in phonetic processes. In this book, it is argued that ease of articulation and vowel-to-vowel coarticulation are factors in the development of vowel harmony. Three phonetic experiments reveal that the effects of these factors are asymmetrical with respect to influences on vowel backness harmony (VBH) and vowel height harmony (VHH). The asymmetry in the experimental findings is matched by typological asymmetries between VBH and VHH. VBH is a robust and pervasive type of harmony, while VHH is more constrained. The typological difference between VBH and VHH indicates that phonological approaches that model vowel harmony as spreading or agreement of features are inadequate. These findings lead to the conclusion that patterns of harmony are influenced by phonetic processes of speech, and that it is not necessary to assume phonological patterns are shaped by innate features or innate constraints. This book has appeal for anyone interested in phonology and phonetics, especially those with an interest in vowel harmony or the nature of the relationship between phonetics and phonology.