Sound

patterns in natural
languages
Lecture 14
Find the odd ONE out- specify why
•  [p, f, m, n]
Solution 1:
[p, m, n]→[-continuant]
[f] → [+continuant]
Solution 2:
[p, f, m]→[labial (bilabial or labiodental)]
[n]→[coronal (dental to retroflex)]
 1.  [k, l, c, ∫] l : Sonorant
k,c, ∫ : -Sonorants
l, c, ∫ : coronal
k : velar
l : Liquids
k,c, ∫ : non liquids

2.  [s, h, ts, d] s, ts, d : Coronal

d : Guttural

3.  [j, r, l, v] j,r,l : Liquids

v : non liquids
j,r,l : Sonorant
v : -Sonorants
j,r,l : Coronal
v : Labial

Labial Coronal Velar Guttural

plosive p b ṱ ḓ t d ȶ ȡ c ɉ k g q G Ɂ
aspirated ph bh ṱh ḓh th dh ȶh ȡh ch ɉh kh gh
plosive
nasal N
m ṋ n ȵ ɲ ŋ
affricate ṱs ḓz t∫ dƷ
fricative 𝜙 𝛽 f v θ s z ∫ Ʒ ȿ ⱬ ç 𝓳 x Ɣ 𝜒 ħ h ĥ
rhotic r ⱹ
lateral l ȴ
glide ω υ j
 post-alveolar
labiodental

pharyngeal
retroflex
alveolar
Bilabial

palatal

glottal
dental

uvular
velar
plosive p b ṱ ḓ t d ȶ ȡ c ɉ k g q G Ɂ
aspirated ph bh ṱh ḓh th dh ȶh ȡh ch ɉh kh gh
plosive
nasal N
m ṋ n ȵ ɲ ŋ
affricate ṱs ḓz t∫ dƷ
fricative 𝜙 𝛽 f v s z ∫ Ʒ ȿ ⱬ ç 𝓳 X Ɣ 𝜒 ħ h ĥ
Th

θ e
im
ag
e
ca

rhotic r ⱹ
lateral l ȴ
glide ω υ j
 Modern Greek
•  kano 'do' kori 'daughter'
•  xano 'lose' xori 'dances'
•  xʲino 'pour' kʲino 'move'
•  krima 'shame' xrima 'money'
•  xufta 'handful' kufeta 'bonbons'
•  kali 'charms' xali 'plight'
•  xʲeli 'eel' kʲeri 'candle'
•  xʲeri 'hand' oxʲi 'no'
 Question
•  What is the distribution between [k] and [x]?
–  Contrastive
–  Complementary
Labial Coronal Velar Guttural
plosive p b ṱ ḓ t d ȶ ȡ c ɉ k g q G Ɂ
aspirated ph bh ṱh ḓh th dh ȶh ȡh ch ɉh kh gh
plosive
nasal N
m ṋ n ȵ ɲ ŋ
affricate ṱs ḓz t∫ dƷ
fricative 𝜙 𝛽 f v θ s z ∫ Ʒ ȿ ⱬ ç 𝓳 x Ɣ 𝜒 ħ h ĥ
 Modern Greek
•  kano 'do' kori 'daughter'
•  xano 'lose' xori 'dances'
•  xʲino 'pour' kʲino 'move'
•  krima 'shame' xrima 'money'
•  xufta 'handful' kufeta 'bonbons'
•  kali 'charms' xali 'plight'
•  xʲeli 'eel' kʲeri 'candle'
•  xʲeri 'hand' oxʲi 'no'
 Distribution between [k] and [x]
•  kano 'do' kori 'daughter'
•  xano 'lose' xori 'dances'
•  xʲino 'pour' kʲino 'move'
•  krima 'shame' xrima 'money'
•  xufta 'handful' kufeta 'bonbons'
•  kali 'charms' xali 'plight'
•  xʲeli 'eel' kʲeri 'candle'
•  xʲeri 'hand' oxʲi 'no'
 Question
•  Given:
–  [kj] is [k] with palatal coarticulation (paltalized k)
–  [xj] is [x] with palatal coarticulation (paltalized x)

•  What is the distribution between [kj] and [xj]?

–  Contrastive
–  Complementary
 Distribution between [kj] and [xj]
•  kano 'do' kori 'daughter'
•  xano 'lose' xori 'dances'
•  xʲino 'pour' kʲino 'move'
•  krima 'shame' xrima 'money'
•  xufta 'handful' kufeta 'bonbons'
•  kali 'charms' xali 'plight'
•  xʲeli 'eel' kʲeri 'candle'
•  xʲeri 'hand' oxʲi 'no'
 Questions
•  What is the distribution between [k] and [kj]?
–  Contrastive
–  Complementary
•  Where does [xj] occur?
•  Can you generalize a pattern?
 Distribution between [k] and [kj]
•  kano 'do' kori 'daughter'
•  xano 'lose' xori 'dances'
•  xʲino 'pour' kʲino 'move'
•  krima 'shame' xrima 'money'
•  xufta 'handful' kufeta 'bonbons'
•  kali 'charms' xali 'plight'
•  xʲeli 'eel' kʲeri 'candle'
•  xʲeri 'hand' oxʲi 'no'
 Generalization
•  /k/ [a,o,u]
•  /kj/ [e,i]
•  Environment [±Back]"
•  Options
–  /k/à/kj/ [-Back]
–  /kj/à /k/ [+Back]
•  krima ‘shame’
–  /k/à/kj/ [-Back]
–  Palatalization
 Transcribe the following as you speak
•  [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I , J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S,
T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z]
•  Indian English
–  [e:, bi:, si:, ȡi:, i:, ef, dƷi:, et∫, aji, dƷe:, ke:, el, em, en,
o:, pi:, kju:, ar, es, ȶi:, iju, wi:, ȡǝblju, eks, wai, zed]
•  Replace all consonants with C and vowels with V
•  CV: 12, VC: 8, V:4, CVC:1, CVC.CV:1
 English Syllables
14

12

10

Series1
6

0
CV VC V CVC CVC.CV
 About syllables
•  All Syllables (𝝈) must have a [+sonorant] sound.
In 99.9% of the cases it is a vowel. This is called
the nucleus. A syllable can have only one
nucleus.

N
 About syllables
•  All languages prefer the sonority to rise from the
beginning of the 𝝈 to the nucleus. So, there is a
universal tendency to place a consonant before the
nucleus within a 𝝈. This consonant is called Onset.

O N
 About syllables
•  All languages prefer to end the syllable at the
sonority peak (nucleus). However, some
languages allow longer syllables. In such cases,
the sonority falls after the nucleus. This post
nucleus consonant is called Coda.
𝝈

O N C
 Sonority Sequencing Principle
•  Within a 𝝈, the sonority of segments rises
from the Onset to the Nucleus and falls from
the nucleus to the Coda.

O N C
 Syllabify
•  Art •  Artist ?
𝝈

N C C
V C C
a r t
 Onset Maximizing Principle
•  When a consonant occurs between two
nuclei, there is a choice to either parse it as
the coda of the preceding syllable or the onset
of the following one. Given this choice there is
a universal tendency to parse it as the onset.
•  Given VCV
•  Parse V.CV rather than VC.V
 Universal Preference
•  ONSET: All syllables should have onset. This
constraint incurs a violation every time we
encounter an onsetless syllable.
•  *CODA: No syllable should have a coda. This
constraint incurs a violation each time we
encounter a syllable with a coda.
Input ONSET *CODA
[alu] ‘potato’
a) → a.lu *
b) al.u ** *
Output candidate (a) incurs a violation of ONSET since the
first syllable of the word is onsetless. Candidate (b) incurs
two violations since both syllables are onsetless. In addition
candidate (b) incurs a violation of *CODA as well since the
consonant /l/ is parsed as coda. The lesser the violation of
these universal preferences, the better the pronunciation,
so candidate (a) will win over candidate (b).
 Summarizing
•  Sounds alter in phonological environment
•  Phonological environment can mean
–  Sounds that precede, follow etc.
–  Syllabic position where the sound occurs
•  With respect to neighboring sounds, a sound
can alter in two ways
–  Assimilate with respect to a phonological feature
–  Dissimilate with respect to a phonological feature