Continuant-stop alternations in Yolngu
My BA Honours thesis at the University of Melbourne investigated a continuant-stop alternation pattern in Yolngu [ju:lŋu]. Specifically, I looked at three varieties of Yolngu: Djambarrpuyngu, Djapu and Gaalpu. The aim of thesis was to provide an Optimality Theoretic account of the alternations. I argued that the alternations were the result of two markedness constraints, one driving lenition, and another an undominated phonotactic constraint. I extended the analysis to Wubuy (Nunggubuyu) a neighbouring non-Pama-Nyungan language that shows alternations in the opposite direction and showed that the constraints proposed for Yolngu were able to account for the pattern in Wubuy despite the difference in the directionality of the change.
My BA Honours thesis at the University of Melbourne investigated a continuant-stop alternation pattern in Yolngu [ju:lŋu]. Specifically, I looked at three varieties of Yolngu: Djambarrpuyngu, Djapu and Gaalpu. The aim of thesis was to provide an Optimality Theoretic account of the alternations. I argued that the alternations were the result of two markedness constraints, one driving lenition, and another an undominated phonotactic constraint. I extended the analysis to Wubuy (Nunggubuyu) a neighbouring non-Pama-Nyungan language that shows alternations in the opposite direction and showed that the constraints proposed for Yolngu were able to account for the pattern in Wubuy despite the difference in the directionality of the change.
- Chong, A.J. (2011). Lenition in Gaalpu: An Optimality Theoretic analysis. Australian Journal of Linguistics, 31(4), 473-490. [Pre-print pdf][External link]