The architecture of the human language faculty has been one of the main foci of the linguistic research of the last half century. This branch of linguistics, broadly known as Generative Grammar, is concerned with the formulation of explanatory formal accounts of linguistic phenomena with the ulterior goal of gaining insight into the properties of the 'language organ'. The series comprises high quality monographs and collected volumes that address such issues. The topics in this series range from phonology to semantics, from syntax to information structure, from mathematical linguistics to studies of the lexicon.
This book demonstrates that, within a representation-based model, the phonological organization of speech sounds in a word can be understood through the licensing properties of nuclei concerning structurally defined complexities. The primitive licensing relation is between a nucleus and its onset (O N), with two main types of complexities: substantive complexity at the melodic level and formal complexity regarding syllabic configurations. Melodic complexity is defined by the number of privative primes, or elements, while formal complexity involves governing relations of onsets, some of which are easier to license than others. The model reveals how asymmetries in consonant and vowel representations illuminate typological patterns, markedness effects, and phonological processes. For instance, the deletion of [g] in Welsh mutations relates to its defining prime being the target of Soft Mutation. The formal complexity scale aligns with the markedness of syllabic types, allowing syllable typology to emerge from the licensing strength of nuclei. Additionally, the interaction between higher prosodic organization and syllabic structure is expressible in this model, as higher prosody affects the licensing status of nuclei. The inclusion of the empty nucleus as a licenser helps unify marked contexts in segmental phenomena and addresses issues like extrasyllabicity and complex clusters. The role of nuclei as licensers is crucial in conne
