This book provides an analysis of phonological data concerning sonorants in Scottish Standard English (SSE) compared to Received Pronunciation (RP). It utilizes 'Lexical Phonology' and recent non-linear, three-dimensional theories of phonological representation. Chapter 1 outlines the principles of 'Lexical Phonology' and 'Three-Dimensional Phonology,' particularly regarding syllable structure, while also distinguishing SSE from Scots, the traditional dialect of southern, eastern, and north-eastern Scotland. The theoretical paradigms are tested against SSE linguistic material, focusing on vowel length and the phonological processes related to the sound [r]. The analysis highlights two lengthening processes in SSE: the 'Scottish Vowel Lengthening Rule' or 'Aitken's Law' (chapter 2) and the 'Allophonic Lengthening Rule,' common across English accents (chapter 3). The former is argued to be an accent-specific lexicalization of the latter. Chapters 4 and 5 explore phonological interpretations of [r]-related phenomena in both non-rhotic and rhotic accents, examining the distribution of [r] in non-rhotic accents like RP and proposing a gradient rule of [r]-weakening based on evidence from rhotic accents, particularly SSE. Finally, the author assesses the effectiveness of the lexical framework in explaining the data from SSE and RP.
