DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

An OT Analysis of Chinese Transliterations of English Place Names

  • Received : 2019.05.06
  • Accepted : 2019.05.30
  • Published : 2019.06.30

Abstract

This paper focuses on the analysis of the Chinese transliterations of English place names in the Optimality Theory (OT) [1]. Three groups of monosyllabic, disyllabic and multisyllabic English place names are analyzed to represent the hierarchical ranking of both Markedness and Faithfulness constraints in terms of sound epenthesis, which is one of the most important repair strategies named the Preservation Principle [2] devised to "preserve" every source segment (or sound) of the target place names. By doing so, this paper tries to answer the question of why sound epenthesis takes place in transliterating words between languages. With the help of the established ranking of the relevant constraints, this paper explains the process of sound epenthesis formally.

Keywords

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #1a

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0001.png 이미지

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #1b

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0002.png 이미지

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #2a

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0003.png 이미지

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #2b

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0004.png 이미지

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #3a

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0005.png 이미지

Selection of an Optimal Candidate of Example #3b

E1GMBY_2019_v7n2_137_t0006.png 이미지

References

  1. A. Prince and P. Smolensky, Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar, Blackwell, pp. 120, 1993.
  2. C. Paradis and D. LaCharite, "Preservation and Minimality in Loanword Adaptation," Journal of Linguistics, Vol. 33, pp. 379-430, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022226797006786
  3. J. Zhang, "Optimality Theory and Syllable Acceptability of Loanwords in Chinese," Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages, Vol.4, pp. 7-12, 2003.
  4. J. Zhang, "OT Analysis of the Syllable Acceptability of Chinese Loanwords," Journal of Foreign Languages, Vol.2, pp. 25-32, 2006. https://doi.org/10.4312/vestnik.2.25-42
  5. Q. Chen, "Epenthesis in Transliteration of Mandarin Loanword: An Optimality-Theoretical Account," Journal of Beijing Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), Vol.6, pp. 113-117, 2008.
  6. J. Blevins, "The Syllable Phonological Theory," In J. A. Goldsmith (ed.) The handbook of Phonological Theory, Blackwell, Vol. 1, pp. 206-244, 1995.
  7. J. McCarthy and A. Prince, "Faithfulness and Reduplicative Identity," In J. Beckman, L. W. Dickey and S. Urbanczyk (eds.) University of Massachusetts Occasional Papers in Linguistics, GLSA Publications, Vol.1, pp. 168-212, 1995.
  8. D. Steriade, The Phonology of Perceptibility Effects: the P-map and Its Consequences for Constraint Organization, UCLA Publications, pp. 62, 2001.
  9. C. Uffmann, "Epenthetic Vowel Quality in Loanwords: Empirical and Formal Issues," In Kenstowicz and Uffmann(eds.), Lingua, Vol.7, pp. 1079-1111, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2005.06.009