The Syllable in Chinese

Abstract

Syllable-sensitive phonological processes in Mandarin dialects are examined, including partial reduplication, speech errors, game languages, "l-words" (disyllabic words with an initial lateral in the second syllable), & diminutive affixation. These processes are argued to target subsyllabic constituents & therefore to facilitate a view into the internal structure of the Mandarin syllable. It is argued that (1) the vowel & syllable-final glide /nasal form a constituent (the rime), (2) the constituency of the medial glide is not as determinate as commonly assumed, & (3) the glides (i & u) exhibit asymmetric behavior with respect to their syllable position.