Proceedings

Locating phonological explanation in the neural dynamics of speech: hysteresis and coupling 

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Abstract

This paper develops a neural process model of two types of phonological alternations. The architecture makes use of neural activation variables, representing lexical items and phonological features, coupled to a dynamic neural field (DNF), which selects parameters for gesture dynamics. Within this dynamical system, phonological alternations have various loci of explanation. We show that assimilatory patterns, such as inter-vocalic voicing, can be explained in terms of hysteresis within the DNF. Depending on the amplitude and duration of inputs to the DNF, activation peaks in one location of the field can persist across time, reducing the impact of antagonistic inputs to the DNF, effectively sustaining a movement target across segments leading to progressive assimilation. Dissimilatory patterns have a different source. We capture voicing dissimilation, exemplifed by Dahl's law, through node-to-node coupling, whereby activation of one [-voice] node inhibits another. This account depends as well on the time course of neural activation variables for lexical items being slower than phonological feature nodes. The results suggest that different types of phonological alternations may have qualitatively different explanations in neural dynamics, which may relate to their typological prevalence. More broadly, from this perspective, typological variation in phonological patterns derives from parameterization of the neural dynamics.

Keywords: dynamical systems, assimilation, dissimilation, articulatory phonology, neural dynamics, dynamic field theory, inter-vocalic voicing, Dahl's law

How to Cite:

Shaw, J. A., (2026) “Locating phonological explanation in the neural dynamics of speech: hysteresis and coupling  ”, Proceedings of the Annual Meetings on Phonology 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/amphonology.3730