Վարդան Պետրոսեան

Սեբաստիան Շահումեանի երկաստիճան հնչոյթաբանական տեսութիւնը

Two-level phonology, elaborated by S. K. Shahumyan, was an early innovation in the phonological system, which was already rich in different conceptual approaches. The following features are typical of two-level phonology: 1. The use of the hypothetical-deductive method as a general scientific basis, in contrast to other theories where the inductive method is used. 2. The use of the construct as the notion of scientific abstraction in phonemic analysis, and according to this, the differentiation between the two levels of abstraction — the stage of observation and that of constructs — in contrast with other phoneme theories characterized by a one-level approach. 3. The import of the concept of "linguistic behavior" as a means of phoneme distinction, in contrast with other theories, most of which (even those that prefer the formal side of the phoneme) to some extent take into consideration the meaning-differentiating factor when distinguishing between phonemes. 4. The wholeness: two-stage phonology includes both the segmental and suprasegmental levels of phonemic analysis. 6. (There was a numbering mistake in the original) The succession: the two-stage approach, which lies at the basis of the analysis, is used in succession when analyzing subphonemic, phonemic, and supraphonemic phenomena. It should be considered that the vulnerable point of two-level phonology is the use of the notion of construct as a scientific abstraction applied to the phoneme and other constituents, which not only deprives them of their linguo-speech bases but also puts into question the appropriateness of their study in general.