[PLing] Two talks about phonology (and syntax) by Kuniya Nasukawa next week

[Markus Poechtrager]

Dear colleagues,

I am very happy to announce that Kuniya Nasukawa (Tohoku Gakuin 
University, Sendai, Japan) will be giving two talks about phonology next 
week, the first of which might also be of interest to syntacticians:

Phonology without Precedence: Representation and Externalization
Talk hosted by the Wiener Sprachgesellschaft, Nov 4, 2025, 18:00, HS 1 
(Senseng. 3a)

Labiality and the structural conditions of |U| in Japanese
Nov 5, 2025, 14:00–15:30, SR 6 (Senseng. 3a)

Abstracts can be found at the bottom of this message. I am very much 
looking forward to seeing many of you there,
best wishes,

Markus Pöchtrager





Prof Kuniya Nasukawa
(Tohoku Gakuin University, Sendai, Japan)


Phonology without Precedence: Representation and Externalization
Talk hosted by the Wiener Sprachgesellschaft, Nov 4, 2025, 18:00, HS 1 
(Senseng. 3a)

This talk develops a precedence-free model of phonological 
representation, beginning with a brief comparison with corresponding 
structures in syntax. The discussion then turns to morpheme-internal 
organization and how these structures are externalized in speech, 
focusing on English data. Particular attention is given to two central 
mechanisms: (i) linearization, and (ii) the assignment of relative 
prominence (stress) within word-level phonological structures.


Labiality and the structural conditions of |U| in Japanese
Nov 5, 2025, 14:00–15:30, SR 6 (Senseng. 3a)

This talk examines the role of the element |U| in Japanese phonology, 
focusing on the behaviour of h and its connection to labiality. Drawing 
on Element Theory (Kaye et al. 1985; Harris & Lindsey 1995; Backley 
2011, among others), I argue that |U| is inherently weak in Japanese and 
that this can explain two well-known asymmetries: the restricted 
distribution of labial consonants and rounded vowels, and the tendency 
for h to pattern with labials. In modern Japanese, u and w are realized 
as unrounded [ɯ] and [ɰ], while p is disallowed in most contexts. These 
facts support the view that headed |U| (labiality) can surface only when 
reinforced by another “dark” element {|A|, |U|, |L|}. The analysis 
highlights how the weakness of |U| offers an insight into more general 
structural constraints shaping the Japanese sound system.





-- 
Mag. Dr. Markus A. Pöchtrager
MediaLab der Philologisch-Kulturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät / MediaLab 
of the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies
&
Institut für Sprachwissenschaft / Department of Linguistics
Universität Wien / University of Vienna