Positional Neutralization - Linguistics - University of California ...

4.1.3. Agenda for this chapter
As noted above, one of the main contributions of this chapter is a reexamination
of the typology of vocalic licensing asymmetries in initial position, a typology which as it
turns out has been characterized only incompletely in all previous work. On the basis of
this reexamination, I will argue that all patterns of phonological licensing asymmetries
attested in initial position are entirely predictable on the basis of the documented phonetic
characteristics of those syllables, and, furthermore, that the predictive fit achieved on this
basis is a closer one than that of a model assuming this typology to flow from the
psycholinguistic status of the initial syllable. This argument is very specifically devoted
to the question of how best to account for the typological regularities observed in patterns
of positional licensing asymmetries, and here again I argue for the phonologization model
over accounts based on the putative structure of Universal Grammar. In arguing that
psycholinguistic status is not a directly operative factor in determining the typological
regularities involving initial syllables, I am not in any way disputing that psycholinguistic
status itself, which has been clearly demonstrated irrespective of any hypothesized role in
constraining patterns of positional neutralization. I am also not disputing the potential
need for separate formal mechanisms in the synchronic grammar to deal with Positional
Strength and Positional Augmentation, as proposed by Smith (2002). As discussed in
Chapter 6, I am also in agreement with Smith that the patterns of asymmetrical
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