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Boise State University

Modern Hebrew

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Variation And Preferences In Modern Hebrew Nonce Verbs, Michal Martinez Jan 2013

Variation And Preferences In Modern Hebrew Nonce Verbs, Michal Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

This paper reports a production experiment examining variation in Modern Hebrew spirantization. Modern Hebrew spirantization is characterized by the alternation of the stops [p], [b], and [k] with their fricative counterparts [f], [v], and [χ], respectively. Typically, fricatives occur post-vocalically, and stops elsewhere, as in (1). (1) Root Infinitive Uninflected Gloss /p/~[f] /pgʃ/ [lifgoʃ] [pagaʃ] ‘to meet’ /b/~[v] /bgd/ [livgod] [bagad] ‘to betray’ /k/~[χ] /ktb/ [liχtov] [katav] ‘to write’ Due to historical mergers and recent borrowings, there are segments that are acoustically identical to those in (1) but that do not alternate, thus potentially forming exceptions (i.e. post-vocalic stops or …


Phonology, Optimality Theory: Modern Hebrew, Michal Temkin Martinez Jan 2013

Phonology, Optimality Theory: Modern Hebrew, Michal Temkin Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

This encyclopedia entry shows how Optimality Theory (OT hereafter; Prince and Smolensky 1993) may be applied to the phonology of Modern Hebrew, treating the spirantization of the 'bgdkpt' consonants as a case study.


Modeling Acceptability Of Variation In Modern Hebrew, Michal Martinez Jan 2012

Modeling Acceptability Of Variation In Modern Hebrew, Michal Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

Modern Hebrew spirantization (MHS) is a highly variable process with many exceptions. This paper reports the results of an experiment testing the acceptability of variation in alternating and exceptional segments in Modern Hebrew spirantization. Consequently, an Optimality Theoretic (OT) analysis, combining stochastic constraint ranking (Hayes & MacEachern 1998, Boersma 1998, Zuraw 2000, Boersma & Hayes 2001, Hayes 2004) and set-based indexation (Pater 2000) is used to model the results. In MHS the stops [p], [b], and [k] alternate with their fricative counterparts [f], [v], and [χ]. Fricatives occur in post-vocalic position and stops occur elsewhere. This is illustrated in these …


On The Interaction Of Variation And Exceptionality In Modern Hebrew Spirantization, Michal Martinez Oct 2011

On The Interaction Of Variation And Exceptionality In Modern Hebrew Spirantization, Michal Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

Modern Hebrew (MH) spirantization is a variable phenomenon with many exceptions. Adam (2002) claims that the variation is driven by the exceptions and concludes that spirantization is changing, yielding what is currently a variable grammar, with expected and variant forms in free variation, and moving toward one with no alternation. This paper reports the results of an acceptability rating task showing that, in alternating segments, the expected form is still rated as more acceptable than that variant forms, and that which variant surfaces (stop or fricative) depend on its underlying root position. Additionally, participants indicate that some variation is acceptable …


Current Patterns Of Variation In Modern Hebrew Spirantization, Michal Martinez Jan 2011

Current Patterns Of Variation In Modern Hebrew Spirantization, Michal Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

Modern Hebrew (MH) spirantization is a variable phenomenon with many exceptions. Adam (2002) claims that the variation is driven by these exceptions and concludes that spirantization is changing, yielding what is currently a variable grammar, with equal weight given to expected and variant forms. However, it is not known what the current stage of the grammar looks like. This paper reports the results of an acceptability rating task showing that the expected form is still rated as more acceptable than variant forms, and which variant surfaces (stop or fricative) depends on its underlying root position. MH has three stop/fricative pairs …


Sources Of Non-Conformity In Phonology: Variation And Exceptionality In Modern Hebrew Spirantization (Dissertation), Michal Temkin Martinez May 2010

Sources Of Non-Conformity In Phonology: Variation And Exceptionality In Modern Hebrew Spirantization (Dissertation), Michal Temkin Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

This dissertation investigates the integration of two sources of non-conformity – exceptionality and variation – in a single phonological system. Exceptionality manifests itself as systematic non-conformity, and variation as partial or variable non-conformity. When both occur within the same phenomenon, this is particularly challenging for the linguistic system. Modern Hebrew spirantization provides an apt case study for the investigation of the interaction of these two sources of non-conformity where exceptional (non-alternating) segments are frequent, and variation in alternating segments has been reported (Adam 2002). This dissertation makes contributions in the forms of both data and analysis. Its goals are to …


An Experimental Investigation Of Variation In Modern Hebrew, Michal Temkin Martinez Feb 2010

An Experimental Investigation Of Variation In Modern Hebrew, Michal Temkin Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

This paper reports the results of an experimental rating task testing the acceptability of variation in Modern Hebrew spirantization. Modern Hebrew spirantization is manifested by the alternation of the stops [p], [b], and [k] with their fricative counterparts [f], [v], and [x], in which fricatives occur post-vocalically and root-finally, and stops occur elsewhere, as in (1). (1) /p/ to [f] /pgS/ [lifgoS] [pagaS] ‘to meet’ /b/ to [v] /bgd/ [livgod] [bagad] ‘to betray’ /k/ tp [x] /ktb/ [lixtov] [katav] ‘to write’ Due to historical sound mergers and more recent borrowings, there are acoustically identical stops and fricatives that do not …