Maximal Onset Principle
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In phonology, the Maximal Onset Principle is a principle determining underlying syllable division. It states that intervocalic consonants are maximally assigned to the onsets of syllables in conformity with universal and language-specific conditions (see also sonority hierarchy).
Example
The English word diploma can be divided in several ways: dip.lo.ma vs. di.plo.ma. However, the only division that is in conformity with the maximal onset principle is di.plo.ma.
Link
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
References
- Kahn, Daniel (1976) Syllable-based generalizations in English phonology. Doctoral dissertation, MIT.
- Selkirk, E.O. 1981. English Compounding and the Theory of Word-structure, in: M. Moortgat, H. Van der Hulst & T. Hoestra (eds.) The Scope of Lexical Rules, Foris, Dordrecht.
