An Explanation of Syllable Structure Change in Korean : With Special Reference to Vennemann's Preference Laws and to Phonological and Conceptual Properties

Abstract

This research in bipartite. The first part deals with various aspects of syllable-related phenomena in Korean with reference to the framework given in Theo Vennemann 1985. Based on his eight 'universal' Preference Laws, Korean data are scrutinized and presented to underline the universality of the Laws (with some minor exceptions). The second part was inspired by the research carried out for the part. It suggests that a system of laws in needed as a part of the theory of universal phonology to explain the changes of syllable structures in the history of a certain language. In is argued that the number of homonyms together with contextual help has the relation of inverse proportion to the size of syllables and/or the number of phonemes and/or tones among many other possible multilateral interactions.