Vowel Hiatus Resolution in the // Environment in Derivation Boundary in Persian Words: Optimality Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze the process of consonant epenthesis as well as the type of the epenthetic consonant in the cases of vowel hiatus resolution in the /a-i/ environment in derivation boundary in Persian words based on Optimality Theory. In derivative words where suffix /-i/ is attached to the last syllable of the stem ending in / a/, vowel hiatus occurs. Since onset is necessary in the syllable structure in Persian, this language uses different processes to resolve the vowel hiatus. The analyzing words in this research include 450 derivative and derivative-compound words extracted from Moshiri dictionary (1388). The results indicate that in Persian, consonant epenthesis is the most common strategy in resolving vowel hiatus. In this study, consonants [j], [?], and [v] are present as epenthetic consonant in resolving vowel hiatus in / a -i/ environment in derivation boundary of words. The presence of glide [j] and glottal stop [?] in resolving vowel hiatus is the result of insertion process and in some words they are latent consonants. Bilabial fricative [v], as epenthetic consonant in vowel hiatus resolution, is only seen in Arabic loanwords that is the result of insertion and vowel shortening process in these words.

Keywords

• optimality theory
• vowel hiatus
• derivation boundary
• consonant epenthesis
• latent consonant