Segments and syllables in Hangeul and Thaana: A comparison and optimality theoretic analysis

This paper compares the little-known writing system Thaana, used for the Maldivian language, with Hangeul, used for Korean. Both were intentional inventions by native speakers in early modern times, and both contain some unique features. Both are segmental in their representation while also arrangin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Written language and literacy 2023-12, Vol.26 (2), p.238-265
Main Author: Gnanadesikan, Amalia E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coda (Phonology)
Constraints
Indo-Aryan languages
Korean language
Optimality theory
Phonology
Rule ordering
Spoken language
Syllabification
Syllables
Well-formedness
Writing systems
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Summary:This paper compares the little-known writing system Thaana, used for the Maldivian language, with Hangeul, used for Korean. Both were intentional inventions by native speakers in early modern times, and both contain some unique features. Both are segmental in their representation while also arranging their letters into higher-order structures: syllables or CV groupings. These structures obey well-formedness constraints that are well known from the study of phonological (spoken) syllables. This paper argues that the operation of these constraints is evidence that these writing systems employ a grammar, which is analyzed here using Optimality Theory. Thaana and Hangeul use the same syllabification constraints, but the rankings differ between the two systems. The rankings also differ between each writing system and its related spoken language. This paper adds to the growing body of research that applies the tools of linguistic analysis to writing systems and finds evidence of grammar in their structure.
ISSN:1387-6732
1570-6001
DOI:10.1075/wll.00079.gna