ERIC Number: EJ791468
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-May
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
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Available Date: N/A
Is Epenthesis a Means to Optimize Feet? A Reanalysis of the CLPF Database
Taelman, Helena; Gillis, Steven
Journal of Child Language, v35 n2 p439-452 May 2008
Fikkert (1994) analyzed a large corpus of Dutch children's early language production, and found that they often add targetless syllables to their words in order to create bisyllabic feet. In this note we point out a methodological problem with that analysis: in an important number of cases, epenthetic vowels occur at places where grammatical morphemes (e.g. plural and diminutive suffixes) may be expected. Hence, the seemingly targetless syllables may represent grammatical morphemes. A reanalysis of Fikkert's original data reveals that her rhythmic explanation cannot be maintained if those cases are excluded from the analysis.
Descriptors: Morphemes, Grammar, Child Language, Databases, Computational Linguistics, Indo European Languages, Foreign Countries, Vowels, Language Rhythm, Language Research, Research Methodology, Language Acquisition
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
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