Проблемы китайского и общего языкознания. К 90-летию С. Е. Яхонтова

 630  Hana Třísková   Note that particular inventories are not strictly characterized by either vowel or consonant status: although only consonants are allowed in posi- tion 1 (C), and only vowels are allowed in positions 2 (G) and 3 (V), the segment in position 4 (X) may be either a consonant, or a vowel. This makes the notion of “X” different from the notion of a “coda”, as men- tioned above. Phonotactic rules Phonotactic rules define the permissible sequences of speech sounds in a language. Let us examine the situation in Mandarin. There are phonotactic rules at several levels operating within the Mandarin syllable (some pho- nologists may view them as constraints of various ranks — cf. the so called constraint-based approaches). We have established four positions C, G, V, X, followed by the inven- tories of segments for each of them. One position cannot accept more than one segment. The only obligatory item in a syllable is V. These premises outline the basic phonotactics of Mandarin syllable. Hence, we can set up the following set of basic phonotactic rules : • the segments may enter only such combinations within a syllable which respect the inventories of segments for particular positions C, G, V, X; • one position may be occupied at most by one segment; • V is an obligatory item, C, G, X are optional items. This set of basic rules predetermines a theoretically possible inventory of Mandarin syllables. If we apply these rules, it is clear, for example, that no consonant clusters may occur within a Mandarin syllable, since there may be only one segment inserted in positions C and X, and there is always at least one vowel between them (syllables such as * / bla / , * / bn / do not exist). Similarly, it is clear that there are no syllables starting with / ng / (such as * / nga / , * / ngai / etc.), although the consonant / ng / is found in the inventory of Mandarin consonants; the reason for the absence of such syllables is that / ng / is not allowed as C. Or, it is clear that syllables such as * / baen / , * / baei / do not exist, since / a / is not allowed as G (note that / a / in bai, ban etc. is V, not position 1 position 2 position 3 position 4 C G V X / b /, / p /, / m /, / f /, / d /, / t /, / n /, / l /… / i /, / u /, / ü / / a /, / o /, / e /, / i /, / u /, / ü / / i /, / u /, / n /, / ng / Figure 6. Mandarin syllable template and the segmental inventories for each position