natural generative phonology (NGP)

A model of PHONOLOGY which requires that phonological RULES and REPRESENTATIONS bear a direct relation to SURFACE linguistic forms. This differs from natural phonology in several respects (in particular, it allows less abstractness in its UNDERLYING representation). Its aim is to formulate the strongest possible (UNIVERSAL) CONSTRAINTS on phonological rules (‘P-rules’), all of which make generalizations about the surface forms of the language.