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초록

This study proposes a new understanding of the target preference patterns in Korean umlaut based on the structure and contraction directions of tongue muscles. We demonstrate how the preference pattern ‘a > ʌ~ɨ > o > u,’ which previous approaches failed to explain adequately, can be understood through the lens of tongue muscle interactions. By focusing on the muscle structure of the tongue and the contraction directions of each muscle during vowel articulation, this study analyzes the interaction of muscle activities during articulatory overlap in umlaut environments. As a result, we introduce the concept of “articulatory compatibility,” positing that the likelihood of umlaut realization increases under conditions of low articulatory compatibility. Building on these insights, we introduce a constraint formalizing articulatory compatibility within the framework of Harmonic Grammar and demonstrate how its interaction with a faithfulness constraint can explain the patterns in umlaut.

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