PART III: GRAMMAR

Part II developed a theory of what phonology would look like if it were governed by functional principles. This may be fine as an exercise of the bottom-up construction of an ideal world, but the resulting functional theory of phonology will be an acceptable alternative to generative approaches only if it is capable of describing phonological structures and processes with an equal or higher amount of empirical adequacy, efficiency, and explanatory force. Chapters 14-15-16-17-18-19 will show that Functional Phonology can stand up to this test and clarify several hitherto recalcitrant phonological issues.