The Interaction Of Phonological Constraints On English-IZE Suffixation

The phonological structure of English -ize derivatives is very complicated, so this suffix draws special attention of generative phonological theories. However, none of these theories can give a satisfactory explanation for the phonological structure of them.The suffix -ize, which attaches to adjectives and nouns, is a verbal suffix of a high degree of productivity. This suffix productively attaches to bases ending in an unstressed syllable. On the other hand, the combinations of this suffix with monosyllabic or iambic bases are normally prohibited, and these prohibited formations are called phonologically conditioned gaps.In the framework of Optimality Theory, there are several different opinions on this suffixation and absolute ill-formedness in it, but they are all based on the comparison between the phonological structure of actual -ize derivatives and that of those prohibited formations. Raffelsiefen (1996) introduces the constraint MPARSE into the analysis of -ize suffixation. Orgun & Sprouse propose that a new separate component called CONTROL, which contains a set of unranked inviolable constraints, should be added to the Optimality Theory grammar. Plag (1999) pays more attention to phonological repair, and regards -ize and -ify, another verbal suffix, as phonologically conditioned allomorphs. In his opinion, -ize tends to attach to bases ending in an unstressed syllable, whereas -ify tends to attach to monosyllabic or iambic bases. According to Raffelsiefen's (2004) analysis, which is based on paradigm uniformity effects, the phonological structure of an -ize derivative is influenced by all morphologically related words that had existed before the appearance of this derivative. Her analysis also supports the existence of absolute ill-formedness in -ize suffixation.This thesis aims at discussing the phonological and morphological properties of -ize derivatives in detail, and analyzing the influence of phonology on this suffixation. By investigating different opinions on this suffixation in the framework of Optimality Theory, the present thesis reveals that the influence of phonology on -ize suffixation is relative rather than absolute. It is the writer's hope that this paper may be of some help to the teaching and learning of the pronunciation of English.