Description:
Taking an interdisciplinary approach to phonological theory and analysis, A Critical Introduction to Phonology introduces the key aspects of the discipline. Departing from the mainstream tradition, Daniel Silverman argues that the nature of linguistic sound systems can only be understood in the context of how they are used by speakers and listeners.
By proposing that linguistic sound systems are the product of an interaction among sound (acoustics), mind (cognition), and body (physiology), Silverman focuses on the functional consequences of their interaction. Now with each chapter supplemented by a section on "Doing Phonology", together with phonological examples from a large corpus of data, this expanded second edition offers a provocative introduction to phonological theory. This book is essential reading for all students and researchers of phonology who are already familiar with the standard approaches and provides both a new theoretical background and the mechanical tools for truly successful phonological analyses.Brief description: Andreas Musolff is Professor of Intercultural Communication at the University of East Anglia, UK. His monographs include Metaphor, Nation and the Holocaust (2010), Metaphor and Political Discourse (2004) and War against the Public: The Language of Terrorism (1996, in German).
Review Quotes: Daniel Silverman has written a book that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable to read. By presenting an interdisciplinary approach, it will be of interest to phonologists and scholars in related fields. And by challenging established ideas, it will essential reading for established experts and advanced students.
Bert Botma, Lecturer, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Netherlands