Distinctive feature enhancement: A review

Abstract

We continue the review of some of the basic premises of Quantal-Enhancement Theory (Stevens 1972, 1989, etc.) initiated in Clements and Ridouane (2006). While Quantal Theory proposes to account for similarities in feature realisation across speakers and languages, Enhancement Theory proposes to account for regular patterns of cross-linguistic variation. In this sense these two theories may be regarded as complementary modules of a more comprehensive feature theory.