Yang, Seon-Ki. 2002. An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of h-Deletion in Old Englsh. The History of English, 13. The purpose of this study is to provide a constraint-based analysis of h-deletion in Old English within the framework of Correspondence Theory (McCarthy and prince 1995), and to argue that h is deleted in onset of unstressed syllables rather than in coda. I show that previous rule-based analyses (Lass & Anderson 1975, Keyser 1975, Kiparsky &O Neil 1976, and Peinovich 1979)are not even observationally adequate in that there are too many exceptions to the rule by which h is deleted between sonorants. This study also treats compensatory lengthening and vowel contraction concomitant with h-deletion. Key words: H-deletion, compensatory lengthening, vowel contraction
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