The Restrictions of the Vowel Raising When /ɑ/ Followed by Nasals in Persian

The current research aims at studying a frequent phonological process. A sort of vowel-consonant harmony which acts when the vowel /ɑ/ followed by a nasal consonant. The process sometimes does not act in many Persian words. This article deals with the Persian words, having the required phonological circumstances, but Persian speakers do not raise their vowels. Many university students look for the reasons and it needs a more detailed study. The research method is a survey, qualitative content analysis and the data included in 110 words gathered by purposive sampling to make a questionnaire. The interviewees include 150 speakers who are fluent in Persian. The vowel raising of /ɑ/ before nasals stops in accordance with the historical documents and in newer words. The findings show that even in older words, the process does not act because of: 1. The required phonological arrangement stands in two morphemes, 2. In loanwords, 3. In proper nouns, 4. When another phonological process bleeds or put a falling vowel adjacent to a nasal. 5. In open class words of the new domains like teaching and technology.