The Idiosyncratic Role of Firthian Approach in the Development of Prosodic Analysis Theory

Firthian prosodic analysis presents the integration of several neglected issues in phonology. That integration is not simply a string of segments into a linear order rather is seen as a part of a larger relation. The context in which the prosodic features occur is intensively called for and this creates a system that cannot be applied or imposed upon other systems. Segmental phonology with its emphasis upon phonemic segmentation implicates the negligence of many interesting and essential features attributed to higher units than individual phoneme. The role of prosodic analysis in distinguishing and highlighting the relations among units above the phoneme is initiated by Firthian Prosodic Analysis which reacted against treating relations of higher level within relations of lower level. Therefore Firthian approach is concerned with investigating prosodic features that cannot be dealt with the phoneme theory. The analyses of several individual languages initiated by Firth and later by his colleagues and students represent a significant step in the development of prosodic theory. The emphasis on structure rather than system, and the emphasis on polysystemicity rather than monosystemic method are among the salient issues which contribute much to develop the theory.