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Phonology (revisited)
Phonology:
description
of
the
speech
sounds of a specific language
(i.e. the function of sounds in
system of e.g. English)
Phonetics:
description
of
all
possible
speech sounds, independent of a
specific language
Week 4: Phonology
Thomas Hoffmann
Wed 12-14
Def:
langue
= abstract linguistic system
shared by all speakers of
a speech community
(paradi- & syntagmatic fn!)
phonology:
part of langue
units: /phonemes/
2. Phonemes
parole
= all utterances of
the speakers in
a speech community
phonetics:
part of parole
units: [phones]
minimal pairs:
2 words that contrast in only one sound
pin
bin
chin
win
word:
RP has 44 phonemes:
bean
[b]
[]
[n]
//
barn
[b]
[]
[n]
//
born
[b]
[]
[n]
//
boon
[b]
[]
[n]
//
burn
[b]
[]
[n]
//
20 vowel phonemes
24 consonant phonemes
20 vowel phonemes:
Vlong
Vshort
Vdiphthong
bean barn
stops
pit
pet
pat
putt
pot
put
about
bay
buy
boy
no
now
peer
pair
nasals
sum
sun
liquids
light
right
semivowels
wet
yet
fricatives
sung
poor
affricates
pin
bin
tin
din
come
gum
fine
vine
think
this
seal
zeal
chin
gin
rack //
V: [short] [low] [front] [unrounded]
rock // (BE) V: [short] [low] [back] [rounded]
bit //
bat //
bit //
beat //
concrete realisations/variants
of one phoneme
= allophone
Complementary distribution
Allophones:
/p/
[p]
[p]
spill
pill
[elsewhere]
[/#__V]
Complementary distribution
Complementary distribution
Phoneme level:
Allophone:
word/syllableinitially before V
[/#__V]
voiceless:
/p/ /t/ /k/
[p] [t] [k]
(aspirated)
e.g. pet, ten, Kent
voiced:
/b/ /d/ /g/
[b] [d] [g]
(no aspiration)
bet, debt, get
//
[]
[]
clear-
dark-
light,
will you
pill
[/ __{V, }]
[elsewhere]
light
held
Complementary distribution
the use of a certain variant/phone depends on the
sound environment (phonetic context)
contextual variants
where one allophone occurs the other cannot occur
and vice versa
using wrong allophone:
doesnt change meaning!
[cf. [] and []: sound odd
but identifiable as light and pull]
Fig. 1: Different l-phones (Davis 1991: 22)
allophones:
do not differentiate meaning
in complementary distribution
so: [] & [] allophones of a phoneme?
allophones:
do not differentiate meaning
in complementary distribution
so: [] & [] allophones of a phoneme?
[] occurs only initially
[] occurs only finally
complementary distribution!
Allophones:
[]
[]
voicing
velar
glottal
nasal
fricative
[]
[]
(unreleased)
esp. in careful
speech
normally
before C
sometimes:
contexts where phonemic contrast
is suspended (neutralised)
in other words:
we find phone x
and are not sure
whether it is an allophone of
phoneme A or B
before V or
word-finally:
quality //
[]
before V or
word-finally:
quantity //
?//?
?//?
quality //
quantity //
3. Phonotactics
rhyme
nucleus
rhyme
nucleus
coda
3. Phonotactics
coda
manner of
articulation
acoustic shape
syllable position
vowels
[+voice]
[-obstruction]
harmonic sounds
nucleus
consonants
[+/-voice]
[+obstruction]
noise
onset/coda
nasals &
approximants
[+voice]
[+obstruction]
harmonic sounds
onset/coda
nasals & []
sometimes:
nucleus (e.g. little)
3. Phonotactics
If someone gave you four cards
with the phonemes //, //, //, //,
what possible English words
could you create out of them?
mathematical possibilities:
4*3*2*1 = 24
3. Phonotactics
3. Phonotactics
3. Phonotactics
English e.g.:
prosodic features:
5. Phonological processes
word stress:
assimilation / dissimilation
coalesence
elision
epenthesis
reduction
5. Phonological processes
5. Phonological processes
assimilation:
dissimilation:
one sound influences another
so as to make the two more alike:
anticipatory/regressive: [A B] A affected
e.g. good morning // []
perseverative/progressive: [A B] B affected
e.g. book + plural -s
e.g. dog + plural -s
note: assimilation can be partial (e.g. [])
or total (e.g. [])
5. Phonological processes
5. Phonological processes
coalescence:
elision:
two sounds combine
to produce a single new one
= reciprocal assimilation
omission/deletion of a sound
e.g. Christmas // []
e.g. last week // []
5. Phonological processes
5. Phonological processes
epenthesis:
reduction:
insertion of a sound
liaison:
pronunciation of a sound of word only in certain contexts
e.g. linking-r: tear it //// [ ] [non-rhotic E]
intrusion:
insertion of a sound that is not part of a word
e.g. intrusive-r: Asia and Africa
[ ]
[non-rhotic E]
e.g. length // []