Chapter 8: Perceptual categorization and the emergence of finiteness

This chapter formalizes the functional principles that play their roles in the perception grammar. Every language uses a finite number of phonological feature values, because speakers learn a finite number of perceptual categories and articulatory gestures.

Contents

8.1   Feature values are not innate
8.2   Constraints in speech production
8.3   Functional constraints in speech perception: categorization
8.4   Categorization along a single perceptual dimension
8.5   Special case: weak categories
8.6   Special case: unparsed features
8.7   Dependence on environment
8.8   Merger
8.9   Conclusion
 
Forward to chapter 9.
Up to the Functional Phonology web site.