ABSTRACT
Generative phonology began, within generative-transformational grammar, as the component for dealing with the sound structure of language. 1 It has, within the last decade, been a dominant force in the shaping of phonological theory and description, particularly in the United States but elsewhere as well. If one can speak—and I believe one can—of an orthodox account of generative phonology, it is to be found in the monumental tome of Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle, The Sound Pattern of English, affectionately known as SPE. Here one can find a hearty theoretical discussion of generative phonology and how it differs from other approaches to phonology, an extensive application of the theory to certain aspects of English phonology— notably stress contours and certain vowel alternations, and a brief treatment of the historical evolution of English vowels. To put it mildly, the book has generated ample discussion and dissension. 2 It is still required reading for anyone seriously going into phonology, even though there is no longer a unified doctrine to which all researchers subscribe.
