A Usage-based Phonology Approach to [the] Deletion in [The thing is (That)]

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper attempts to explore the recently emerging [the] deletion in [the thing is] construction, which is in line with the current research trend in Usage-based theory (Boyland 1996, Bybee 2000, 2001, 2002, Krug 1998, 2001, Phillips 2001). This aims at exploring the frequency effects on phonological reduction, functional extension, and morphosyntactic re-analysis. Based on American spoken English corpus (SWITCHBOARD 1992), this paper observes that the phonological shortening coupled with the semantic changes demonstrate the syntactic changes of [(the) thing is], from the three-words into a single-word unit (univerbation). Building on Kim's postulation (2003a), this work could attest that the current [the] deletion is associated with recently emerging pragmatic functions (filler, hesitator) and deviant syntax (parenthetical particle). In the account presented here, a high token frequency of [the thing is] and type frequency of the definite article [the] in the determiner slot along with the general articulatory reduction via non-adjective context: [the+Ø+thing+is] have cumulative effects on our lexical representation. Therefore this reduced phonological variant [thing is] tends to acquire new functions and idiomatic status.

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