The Location(s) Of Phonology In Fawcett's Model

Fawcett (2010: 40n):

The Cardiff Grammar recognizes that it is only items that require expression in segmental phonology (which includes inherent word stress). One effect of this is that the two major aspects of phonology — intonation and segmental phonology — are treated as two separate components. They may look like one component when you view language 'from below', but if you look at intonation and segmental phonology 'from above', i.e., from the viewpoint of the meaning potential of the system networks, and if you then ask how meanings are realized in language, it becomes clear that the two are very different from each other: intonation realizing meanings directly, while segmental phonology does not. 

Blogger Comments:

[1] 'Inherent word stress' is not a feature of segmental phonology;  but see [2].

[2] The main theoretical disadvantage of treating intonation and segmental phonology as "two separate components" is that it omits rhythm from the model, since 'inherent word stress' is insufficient to account for the rich diversity of speech rhythms and the lexicogrammatical distinctions they realise.  The inclusion of rhythm is necessary for the modelling of intonation, since tone groups are realised by feet, and the ictus of each foot identifies the elements of potential tonic prominence, which in turn identifies the focus of New information.

[3] This misunderstands Halliday's 'trinocular perspective'.  It not possible to look at language 'from below', because there is no level of symbolic abstraction below language.

[4] To be clear, looking at phonology 'from above' means looking at it in terms of its function in various contexts (Halliday 2008: 141), as the expression of some content (Halliday & Matthiessen 1999: 504).

[5] To be clear, looking at 'how meanings are realised' — i.e. in terms of its various modes of expression — is looking at 'meaning from below' (Halliday 2008: 141).

[6] The claim here is:

• if you view meaning in terms of how it is realised,
• (then) it becomes clear that intonation realises meaning directly while segmental phonology does not.

This is not a reasoned argument, since no reasons are provided in support of the conclusion.  It is merely a bare assertion that has been dressed up to look like reasoning through the use of a conditional relation.  The advantages of such a model, to the theory as a whole, need to be both identified and supported by reasoned argument.