The concept of phonological process and its case study in Gilaki dialect

Phonology, a branch of linguistics, studies the system of contrastive relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language. What is called phonological process includes such processes as: assimilation, insertion, deletion, inversion, compensatory lengthening, weakening, etc. Some of these processes, such as assimilation, are universal, and some others, such as "preglottalization" of voiceless obstruents, are language-specific. This article is divided into two parts. In the first part, the characteristic and nature of phonological processes in Gilaki language, regardless of their types, and related issues, are examined. In the second part, some examples of phonological processes in Gilaki words are explained and analyzed. The main goal in providing the present article is to introduce the correct methodology in explanation of Gilaki phonological processes. This library and field-based research is analytical and descriptive. The results achieved from this article show that Gilaki dialect has its own descriptive parameters and tools for explaining and analyzing phonological processes. It should not be analyzed in comparison to its Persian equivalents. In other words, the phonetic or surface structure representation of a word in such dialects as Gilaki should not be obtained from the phonological or deep structure representation of that word in Persian, even if the explanation of the phonological process in question is describable due to the similarity of the words.

Keywords:

phonological processes , generative phonology , Gilaki dialect