Chapter 11
Understanding the development of prosodic words
The role of the lexicon
Children’s early speech productions are not entirely adult-like, with
syllables and morphemes often missing from early utterances.
However, these patterns of development also appear to be influenced
by the language being learned. This chapter explores the role of the
lexicon as a driving force in understanding both lower Prosodic Word
(PW) and higher Phonological Phrase and Intonational Phrase (PP, IP)
aspects of children’s early speech. Using evidence from
cross-linguistic studies, it shows how the prosodic shape and
structure of the ambient lexicon influences the course of PW
development and the implications this has for the acquisition of
grammatical morphemes such as determiners. It concludes by exploring
the implications of these findings for a developmental model of
speech planning and production.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Prosodic structure
- Markedness and the growth of prosodic words
- Early PWs and feet
- Syllable structure and coda consonants
- Minimal prosodic words and moras
- Truncation of unfooted syllables
- The development of prosodic clitics: Interactions with PW
shape
- Conclusion
-
Acknowledgements
-
References
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