Spanish Phonology: A Syllabic Perspective (review)

Spanish Phonology: A Syllabic Perspective is an excellent and original contribution to the field of Spanish phonology. This monograph is not an introduction to Spanish phonology or Optimality Theory (OT) per se; however, it does uniquely combine Spanish phonology and OT. Colina frames this work within OT in order to offer convincing arguments for alternative, constraint-based accounts of several Spanish phonological phenomena. Likewise, through the use of tableau, constraint rankings and definitions, and a myriad of examples, she makes a compelling case for how these analyses answer unresolved issues. In some cases, she affirms that the pairing of optimality-theoretic analyses with syllabic structure offers even more effective explanations than those presently to be had in rule-based derivational models. Each chapter is designed so that the bulk of the material is applicable to most readers familiar with Spanish phonology and OT, while additional marked sections deal with topics for more advanced students and are a useful resource for students in, as well as professors of, graduate courses. In addition, at the end of the chapters there are invaluable didactic aids, such as Study Questions, Going Back to the Sources, Key Topics, and Topics for Further Research, that may be used for both in-class and out-of-class activities at several levels. The Glossary of Constraints, Summary of Constraint Rankings, and index also make this work a useful reference to have.

Chapter 1 is a brief introduction which contains general information on OT, specific information on relevant concepts and current trends in OT, and a plethora of resources and references for further reading on OT, including Kager's (1999) general overview. Chapter 2 eases into the general topic of the book by discussing syllable types and phonotactics, and detailing how an OT approach accounts for basic syllable types of Spanish through the permutation of a few universal constraints, as opposed to a list of language-specific templates. One element in this chapter, and throughout the book, that may be more difficult for less advanced students to follow is the treatment given to high vocoids, high glides, and palatal fricatives. It would be providential for instructors to provide supplemental readings on this topic to students, or to utilize the Going Back to the Sources section provided at the end of the chapter.

Resyllabification or, in other words, the well-known Spanish phenomenon of syllabication across word boundaries, is the topic covered in chapter 3. In this chapter, Colina affirms the superiority of an OT account based on the insight provided by minimally violable constraints which also capture the true motivation for resyllabification. In other words, an OT analysis selects the misalignment of syllables and words as optimal, or makes this resyllabification unnecessary. Chapter 4 delves into the syllable and morphological constituents by exploring and providing constraint-based explanations to three of some of the most salient and researched phenomena in Spanish phonology, i.e. /s-/ aspiration, velarization of coda nasals, and onset strengthening (including rhotic strengthening). Specifically, Colina proposes the ALIGN constraint ALIGN-LST (align the left edge of the syllable with the left edge of the stem) in combination with other constraints to account for these phenomena. In chapter 5, Colina examines deletion and epenthesis in its varied contexts—word-final, plurals, Dominican double plurals, word-initial, and diminutives. The advantages of OT accounts over serial analyses are highlighted in this chapter as well.

A concise yet thorough conclusion in chapter 6 brings the monograph to a close. Colina summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the optimality-theoretic analyses applied to Spanish phonology in the book. She also reiterates the importance of doing such OT analyses from the perspective of the syllable. When combined, the syllabic perspective and OT provide insights into, and motivations for, many well-known and often-studied topics; from resyllabification, /s-/ aspiration and onset-strengthening to deletion and epenthesis.

On the whole, Spanish Phonology: A Syllabic Perspective is well-written and provides a novel perspective to the phonological analysis...