Syllable

This chapter explores various approaches to syllable division, the factors influencing syllabification, and the interaction of these principles with phonotactic constraints within a TSM language. Three prominent approaches to syllable constituency are discussed: Initial-Final, Onset-Rime, and Body-Coda. The Sonority Sequencing Principle (SSP) and Moraic Theory are identified as key factors governing syllabification in TSM. Notably, segment-mora mappings effectively account for checked syllables in TSM. Compensatory lengthening and closed syllable shortening phenomena provide additional evidence that voiceless stop codas in checked syllables are not extrasyllabic. Significantly, these diverse approaches to syllable division are not mutually exclusive. A speaker’s linguistic intuition likely encompasses all these divisions, allowing them to leverage relevant phonotactic constraints at various levels, including Rime, Nucleus, Coda, Onset, Body, and even the entire syllable. When the domain is extended to encompass the entire syllable, the [nasal] feature is prohibited from spreading across the boundaries of Body and Coda. Consequently, nasality in this language manifests as a crisp edge phenomenon.