Problems in Scottish English Phonology

Summary: This book presents a synchronic account of data from Scottish English interpreted within the framework of 'Lexical Phonology' and non-linear theories of the syllable. It centres around two groups of problems crucial for the contrastive dialectal studies of English language, in particular, vocalic processes and the phonoloy of [r]. More specifically, it investigates two vowel lengthening processes: 'Aitken's law' and ...the 'Allophonic Lengthening Rule'. Kamin'ska tries to demonstrate that the former is an accent specific lexicalization of the latter. Moreover, the book provides a comparative survey and analysis of phonological rules related to the sound [r] in both rhotic and non-rhotic accents of English. The framework of 'Lexical Phonology' is debated in the light of its application to the data from Scottish English. [read more]