The Structure of the Kurdish Syllable in Generative Phonology (A Case Study of the Sorani Dialect)

Abstract

Sounds are the essence of language, as every language fundamentally begins with sounds, Through a finite number of sounds, humans create an infinite number of syllables, morphemes, words, and linguistic terms. These syllables, words, and linguistic terms are not always pronounced identically; rather, variations in pronunciation occur due to surrounding contexts or through the phonemic representation of language in the formation of larger units. Consequently, the fundamental building blocks of basic speech construction are phonemes, which are the smallest linguistic units that, while lacking inherent meaning, serve as catalysts for semantic change. Generative phonology focuses on phonetic and phonological aspects, examining how sounds are produced and combined to form syllables.

A syllable represents a linguistic unit associated with vowels. These vowels (the syllable nucleus) derive their syllabic strength according to vowel length, whereby syllables are determined by the duration of vowels. Syllable structure refers to the organizational patterns and arrangement of sounds for creating meaningful utterances in a specific language. Syllables serve as the foundation of words and exert influence on word formation and pronunciation patterns.