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Phonology LI Nathalie F. Martin
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What do you know about Phonology?
What is the difference between the words /rip/ and /lip/? How would you divide this word into syllables? /fənɒlədʒi/ How do you pronounce the word “tsunami”? Are these words acceptable in English? Sbirdnar Birdnar
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Introduction: Phonology
No human language exploits all phonetic possibilities Every language makes its own particular selection from the range of all possible speech sounds
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English Phonemes Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Korean Phonemes Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Introduction Phonological Representation
Phonology /fənɒlədʒi/ : The components of grammar that determines the selection of speech sounds and that governs both the sound patterns and the systematic phonetic variation found in language.
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Introduction Phonological Representation
The task of phonologists: To discover and describe the systematic phonetic patterns found in individual languages To discover the general principles that underlie the patterning of sounds across human languages.
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Introduction Phonological Representation
Three major phonological units: Features Segments Syllable
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Introduction Phonological Representation
Wd σ σ s è g m F n t - syllabic + sonorant … Word level Syllable level Segment level Feature level [ ]
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Introduction Phonological Representation
Segment: Individual speech sounds Feature: Features correspond to articulatory or acoustic categories such as [voice] or [strident] Smallest building block of phonological structure Syllable: A syllabic element – usually a vowel- and any preceding or following segments that are associated with it
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Segments in Contrast Contrast
All speakers knows which segments contrast and which ones don’t … Segments are said to contrast when: Their presence alone may distinguish forms with different meaning from each other Ex: sip [sɪp] and zip [zɪp] Ex: hit [hɪt], hat [hæt] & hot [hɒt]
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Segments in Contrast Minimal Pairs
The first step in the analysis of the phonology of language is to establish which sounds in that language are in contrast with each other In order to establish contrast, it is necessary to examine the distribution of sounds in words and to compare word meanings. This can be accomplished through the minimal pair test
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Segments in Contrast Minimal Pairs
Minimal pair: Consists of two forms with distinct meaning that differ by only one segment found in the same position in each form. Example: sip [sɪp] and zip [zɪp] Therefore the segments [s] and [z] contrast
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Segments in Contrast Minimal Pairs – English Consonant
Example:
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Segments in Contrast Minimal Pairs – Definitions
Environment: The phonetic context in which a sound occurs. Near minimal pairs: Pairs of words that have segments in nearly identical environments (ex: assure & azure)
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Segments in Contrast Minimal Pairs – Definitions
Phoneme: Segments that contrast with each other in a particular language are said to belong to separate phonemes of that language Contrastive phonological units Not to be confused with Phones
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Segments in Contrast Vowel Contrast in English
Find words with these minimal pairs (vowels)
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Segments in Contrast Vowel Contrast in English
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Segments in Contrast Language-Specific Contrasts
Important: - Two sounds can be phonetically distinct without necessarily being phonologically distinct or contrastive. - Sounds that are contrastive in one language may not necessarily be contrastive in another.
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Segments in Contrast Language-Specific Contrasts
Example: In English [ɛ] & [æ] are contrastive (ex: Ben & ban) In Turkish (ex: the word “I” can be said [bɛn] & [bæn])
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Segments in Contrast Practice & Homework
Find minimal pairs to show contrast between all English consonants (15 phonemes) Exceptions which are hard to find: [ŋ] [h] [ʔ] [ʒ]
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Complementary distribution
Before we talk about phonemes and allophones
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Introduction
Phonetic variation is systematic Occurs most often in phonetically similar segments Conditioned by the phonetic context or environment in which the segments are found
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REVIEW Common Articulatory Processes
Assimilation - Voicing assimilation Devoicing: Example of Please [pliz] [p] (voiceless) + [l] (voiced) = devoiced [l] Voicing: Example of[af] (off or over) in Dutch Afbellen (to cancel): [f] (voiceless) + [b] (voiced) = [vb] (both voiced)
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Introduction - Variation
Variation occurs because segments are affected and altered by phonetic characteristics of neighboring elements or by the larger phonological context in which they occur Speakers and listeners of any language tend to factor out this type of variation in order to focus on contrast that affect meaning
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Complementary Distribution
In English, all Ls are not identical Different sounds: [l̥̥] (voiceless l)& [l] (voiced l) Yet they do not contrast There are no minimal pairs in which the phonetic difference [l̥̥] & [l] functions to indicate difference.
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Complementary Distribution
Blue [blu] Gleam [glim] Slip [slɪp] Flog [flɒg] Leaf [lif] Plow [pl̥aʊ] Clap [kl̥æp] Clear [kl̥ɪər] Play [pl̥eɪ] [l]
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Complementary Distribution
Examine the distribution of the two Ls All of the voiceless [l̥̥] occurs after the class of voiceless stops Voiced [l] never occurs after voiceless stops Predictable property of phonology in English
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Complementary Distribution
Therefore: Since no voiced [l] ever occurs in the same phonetic environment as a voiceless [l̥] (and vice versa), we say that that the two variants of L are in complementary distribution Table Complementary distribution of [l] and [l̥] in English [l] [l̥] After voiceless stops no yes Elsewhere
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Phonemes and allophones
The sounds your mind doesn’t Notice/hear In English
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Phonemes and allophones
When segments are phonetically distinct, but not phonologically the same they are considered allophones (predictable variants) of one phoneme (contrastive phonological unit).
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Phonemes and allophones
Phonetic representation: Consists of predictable variants or allophones Phonemic (or phonological) representation: Consists of the phonemes to which the allophones belong. Phonemic representation (phoneme) /l/ Phonetic representation (allophones) [l̥̥] [l] Symbols for phonemes are placed between slashes // Symbols for allophones are enclosed in square bracket []
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Phonemes and allophones
Are mental representations: the way in which sounds are stored in the mind. Are in your head Allophones: Are not part of what you remember when you store a word in your mind Come out of your mouth
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Phonemes and allophones
An important part of phonological analysis thus deals with discovering inventories of the phonemes of language and accounting for allophonic variation.
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English Phonemes Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Korean Phonemes Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Korean Allophones (in English)
Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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English allophones for /p/
Allophone example English allophones for /p/ [pʰ] - pair [pʰɛr] [p] - spare [spɛr] [p̚] - tap [tæp̚] Korean phonemes /p/ and /pʰ/ 팔 [pʰal] and 발 [pal] are different words English speakers will speak ‘nonsense’ in Korean Chris Black - Applied Linguistics – Tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Classes and generalization
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Free Variation
Various forms that do not change the meaning since they are phonetically similar. They are therefore allophones of a phoneme Ex: [stɒp!], [stɒp̚] & [stɒpʔ] [p!], [p̚] & [pʔ] are different allophones of the phoneme /p/ Notice that the narrow transcription of these words and the different allophones are in square brackets and that the phoneme is in between slashes. Forceful articulation (Feature rep. only used in the book) Coarticulation with glottal stop Extended closure
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
Everyday speech usually varies systematically according to phonetic classes
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
Brew [bru] Green [grin] Drip [drɪp] Frog [rɒg] Shrimp [ʃrɪmp] Prow [pr̥aʊ] Trip [r̥ɪp] Creep [kr̥ip] Pray [pr̥eɪ] /r/
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
In English, liquids have voiceless allophones after voiceless stops and voiced allophones elsewhere. General Statement
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
Beauty [bjuti] Dwayne [dweɪn] Gwen [gwɛn] View [vju] Swim [swɪm] Thwack [θwæk] Putrid [pj̥utrɪd] Twin [tw̥ɪn] Quick [kw̥ɪk] Cute [kj̥ut] /j//w/
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
In English, liquids and glides have voiceless allophones after voiceless stops, and voiced allophones elsewhere. General Statement
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Classes & Systematic Variation
One of the major goals of phonological description is the discovery of such broad patters of variation, and the formulation of the most general statements possible to describe them.
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation
Canadian Raising English mid vowels and glides Language-specific patterns
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Eyes [aɪz] Lies [laɪz] Tried [tr̥aɪd] Tribe [tr̥aɪb] House [haʊz] Loud [laʊd] Cow [kaʊ] Ice [ʌɪs] Lice [l ʌɪs] Trite [tr̥ʌɪt] Tripe [tr̥ʌɪp] House [hʌʊs] /aɪ//aʊ/
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Canadian rising is another example of allophonic variation in English [aj] before the class of voiced consonants or in word final position [ʌ j] before the class of voiceless consonants
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
[aj] before the class of voiced consonants or in word final position [ʌ j] before the class of voiceless consonants
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation English Mid Vowels and glides
In most dialects of English, the mid tense vowels [e] & [o] are always diphthongized [ej] & [ow] [e] and [o] are both mid tense vowels [e] and [j] are both back and unrounded [o] and [w] are both back and unrounded
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation English Mid Vowels and glides
The mid tense vowels of English are predictably followed by a glide that has the same backness and roundness as the vowels General Statement
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Language-specific patterns
Important: The phenomenon of allophonic variation is universal. BUT … The actual patterning of phonemes and allophones is language-specific. Thus, whatever we discover for one language may not hold true for another.
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Language-specific patterns
Nasals in Scots Gaelic: Vowels are nasal in Scot Gaelic when preceded or followed by a nasal consonant
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Language-specific patterns
Nasals in Malay: In Malay, all vowels and glides following a nasal and not separated from it by a non-nasal consonant are nasalized (until an obstruent, liquid, or glottal is reached)
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Language-specific patterns
English and Khmer (Cambodian) stops:
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Language-specific patterns
English and Khmer (Cambodian) stops:
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Save [sev] Abe [eb] Made [med] Maze [mez] Age [edʒ] Haig [eg] Safe [sĕf] Ape [ĕp] Mate [mĕt] Mace [mĕs] H [ĕtʃ] Ache [ĕk] /e/
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Know [oʊ] Annoy [ənɔɪ] Onion [ʌnyən] Nun [nʌn] Tenth [tɛn̪θ] Month [mʌn̪θ] Panther [pæn̪θər] Chrysanthemum [krɪsæn̪θəməm] /n/
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription Inventory of Vowels
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription Inventory of Consonants
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription Let’s Practice!
Transcribe the following words Phonetically & Phonemically Plow Paper Crime Gate Phone Rhyme Rice Flies Stop Don’t forget the predictable properties mentioned on the previous slides!
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription Let’s Practice!
Plow Paper Crime Gate Phone / plaʊ / /pepər / / kraɪm / / get / / foʊn / [pl̥̥aʊ] [peɪpər ] [kr̥aɪm ] [geɪt ] [foʊn ]
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription Let’s Practice!
Rhyme Rice Flies Stop / raɪm / / raɪs / / flaɪz / / stɒp / [raɪm ] [rʌɪs ] [flaɪz ] [stɒp ]
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Review Contrast, phonemes and allophones
Each language has a set of contrastive phonemes Phonemes themselves can have predictable variants or allophones There are two distinct levels of representation: phonemic level and phonetic level
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Review of in class exercises
A Bit of Marking Review of in class exercises and Homework
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Know [oʊ] Annoy [ənɔɪ] Onion [ʌnyən] Nun [nʌn] Tenth [tɛn̪θ] Month [mʌn̪θ] Panther [pæn̪θər] Chrysanthemum [krɪsæn̪θəməm] /n/
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/n/ - Dental or Alveolar
In English, /n/ becomes dental when it precedes /θ/. General Statement
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Phonetically Conditioned Variation Canadian Rising
Save [sev] Abe [eb] Made [med] Maze [mez] Age [edʒ] Before v, b, d, z, dʒ Safe [sĕf] Ape [ĕp] Mate [mĕt] Mace [mĕs] Ache [ĕk] Before f, p, t, s, k /e/
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/e/ - Short or Regular Length?
In English, /e/ is short when followed by a voiceless consonant. General Statement
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription
Paper Gate /pepər / / get / [pĕpər ] [gĕt ]
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Exercise 1 (Rowe & Levine)
/k/ Skill [skɪl] Ask [æsk] Ski [ski] School [skul] Skull [skʌl] Ink [ɪŋk] Kill [khɪl] Cass [khæs] King [khɪŋ] Cool [khul] Key [khi] Cull [khəl]
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Exercise 1 (Rowe & Levine)
Skill [skɪl] Ask [æsk] Ski [ski] School [skul] After s, ŋ Kill [khɪl] Cass [khæs] King [khɪŋ] Cool [khul] Beginning of word
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Two Allophones of the Phoneme /k/
/k/ [k] [kh]
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Aspiration Velar Stops = /k/
The oral velar stop (/k/) is aspirated when it is word initial, and unaspirated elsewhere * General Statement
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Exercise 2 (Rowe & Levine)
Lit [lɪt] Lame [leɪm] Let [lɛt] Lick [lɪk] Lay [leɪ] Leak [lik] Low [ɫoʊ] Law [ɫɔ] Loot [ɫut] Lull [ɫʌɫ] All [ɔɫ] Feel [fiɫ]
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Exercise 2 (Rowe & Levine)
Lit [lɪt] Lame [leɪm] Let [lɛt] Lick [lɪk] Word-initial before a front vowel Low [ɫoʊ] Loot [ɫut] Lull [ɫʌɫ] Word-initial before a central or back vowel Or word final
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Two Allophones of the Phoneme /l/
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In English, [l] occurs in the initial position before a front vowel.
Dark L In English, [l] occurs in the initial position before a front vowel. In English, [ɫ] occurs in the initial position before a central of back vowel or in the word final position General Statement
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Exercise 3 (Rowe & Levine)
Tape [thap] /tap/ Pam[phæm] /pæm/ Cod [kho:d] /kod/
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Onset constraints and phonotactics Accidental and systematic gaps
Syllable Defining the syllable Onset constraints and phonotactics Accidental and systematic gaps
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Syllables Introduction
Definition: A syllable consists of a sonorous element and its associated non-syllabic (less sonorous) segments. What speech sounds are more sonorous?
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Syllables Introduction
Vowels are the most sonorous sound Therefore, syllables usually have a vowel nucleus as their core Less sonorous sounds may appear on either sides of the nuclei
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Syllables Introduction
Native speakers of a language demonstrate their awareness of the sonority values of segments and of the syllable Examples: Telegraph Accident Sprint
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Onset Constraints and Phonotactics
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Syllables Onset Syllable: σ Onset (O): Within a syllable, the longest segment of consonant to the left of each nucleus
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Syllables Rhyme: Nucleus & Coda
Rhyme (R): The nucleus and the coda of a syllable (e.g., [ɪnt] in Sprint)
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Syllables Nucleus & Coda
Nucleus (N): a vocalic element that forms the core of a syllable (e.g., [ɪ]) Coda (Co): The elements that follow the nucleus in the same syllable (e.g., [nt])
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Syllables Constraints
Syllables comply with certain constraints that prohibit them from beginning with a sequence like [kstr] Thus results in the actual syllabification / ək.strim / (“extreme”)
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Syllables English Syllables
Applaud Decline Improvise
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Syllables Universal Tendencies
All languages have syllables The shapes or syllables are governed by various kinds of constraints But certain universal tendencies are observable
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Syllables Universal Tendencies
Syllable nuclei usually consists of one vowel; Syllables usually begin with onsets; Syllables often end with codas; Onsets and codas usually consist of one consonant. Syllables usually take the shape CV or CVC
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Syllables Onset Constraints & Phonotactics
Isn’t it interesting! Words from other languages sound unusual to speakers of another language Result: they often adjust the segment sequences to conform with their language phonology. Example: Russian word “vprog” /fprɔk/ (value, or good) [fəprɔk] – adding /ə/ [prɔk] – deleting /f/ Native speakers of any language intuitively know that certain words from other languages sound unusual and they often adjust the segment sequences of these words to conform with the pronunciation requirements of their own language.
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French: /sabl/ English: / seɪ.bəl/ Sable Island
How did we get from one to the other?
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Syllables Onset Constraints & Phonotactics
The set of constraints on how sequences of segments pattern. Forms part of a speakers knowledge of the phonology of his or her language.
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Syllables Onset Constraints & Phonotactics
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Phonotactics – Let’s Analyse
Would these words be acceptable in English? How would we divide them? Tsunami /tsʊnɑmi/ Birdnar / bɜrdnɑr / Sbirdnar / sbɜrdnɑr / Spirdnar / sbɜrdnɑr /
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Accidental and Systematic gaps
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Syllables Accidental and Systematic Gaps
Gaps in the language’s vocabulary that correspond to non-occurring but possible forms called accidental gaps Sometimes filled by borrowed words that fill the phonotactic constraints Ex: Kodak, taco, Zen, perestroika
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Syllables Accidental and Systematic Gaps
Gaps in the syllable structure of a language that result not by accident but from exclusion of certain sequences. Examples in English: /bz/, /pt/ & /fp/ Unacceptable in one language but not necessarily another
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Syllables Accidental and Systematic Gaps
Accidental gaps: Sometimes filled by borrowed words that fill the phonotactic constraints Ex: Kodak, taco, Zen, perestroika Systematic gaps: English speakers often change the pronunciation of borrowed words that do not fit the phonotactic constraints Ex: Psychology & pterodactyl
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[mɛri k rɪsməs ] [melekalikimaka] ? Christmas in Hawaii !!! p k ʔ h m
Labial Coronal Dorsal Laryngeal Stop p k ʔ Fricative h Nasal m n Glide w Liquid l Vowels i e a
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[mɛ.ri ] [me.le ] [k rɪ s. mə s ] [ka.li.ki.ma.ka]
Christmas in Hawaii !!! [mɛ.ri ] [me.le ] [k rɪ s. mə s ] [ka.li.ki.ma.ka]
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Syllables Language-specific phonotactics
Language-specific constraints, on the other hand, hold true for individual languages such as English, but they may not be found in other languages
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Setting up the syllables
Review Setting up the syllables Syllabic phonology Practice
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Review Syllable & Onset
Onset (O): Within a syllable, the longest segment of consonant to the left of each nucleus that does not violate the phonotactic constraints of the language in question (e.g., [st] forms the onset of the second syllable in hamster)
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Review Rhyme: Nucleus & Coda
Rhyme (R): The nucleus and the coda of a syllable (e.g., [ust] in the word boost) Nucleus (N): a vocalic element that forms the core of a syllable (e.g., the vowel [A] is the nucleus of the first syllable in Patrick) Coda (Co): The elements that follow the nucleus in the same syllable (e.g., [rf] in surfboard)
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Review Practice Sprint [sprɪnt]: σ Onset (O) Rhyme (R) Nucleus (N) Coda (Co) spr ɪ nt
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Review Practice First [fɜrst] σ Onset (O) Rhyme (R) Nucleus (N) Coda (Co) f ɜ rst
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w ɜ rdz Review Practice Words [wɜrdz] σ Onset (O) Rhyme (R)
Nucleus (N) Coda (Co) w ɜ rdz
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Each language defines its own syllable structure through the interaction of universal and language-specific constraints
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Step a: Nucleus-formation
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Step b: Onset-formation
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Step c: Coda-formation
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Step d: Word-level construction
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
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Syllables Setting Up Syllables
Set up the syllable for these words: Frisk [frɪsk] Extra [ɛkstrə]
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Syllables Syllabic Phonology
One reason that syllables are treated as units of phonological structure is that they are relevant to stating generalizations about the distribution of allophonic features
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Syllables Syllabic Phonology: Aspiration
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Syllables Syllabic Phonology: Aspiration
English voiceless stops are aspirated syllable-initially General Statement
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription
Plow Paper Crime / plaʊ / /pepər / / kraɪm / [phl̥̥aʊ] [pheɪ.phər ] [khr̥aɪm ]
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Syllables Syllabic Phonology: Vowel Length
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Syllables Syllabic Phonology: Vowel Length
English vowels are long when followed by a voiced obstruent in the coda position of the same syllable Note: Obstruent = fricative, affricates and oral stops General Statement
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Phonetic and Phonemic Transcription
Dad Sleeve Limbo / dæd / / sliv / / lɪmbo / [dæ:d ] [sli:v] [lɪm.boʊ]
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Features
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Features Definition Segments themselves are composed of even smaller, subsegmental, phonological units known as features Smallest unit of phonology Basic building blocks of human speech sounds
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Features Independent and Coordinate
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Features Features & Natural Classes
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Features Features & Natural Classes
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Features Features & Natural Classes
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Features Features & Natural Classes
By systematically examining the phonemic contrasts of a language, we can extract the distinctive features and use these irreducible linguistic elements to describe the phonemic inventory
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Features Representation
Only a limited number of features – currently around twenty-four – have been proposed Fewer are needed to characterize the sounds of English
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Features Representation Major class features
[±consonantal] [±syllabic] [±sonorant]
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Features Representation Manner features
[±continuant] [±delayed release] ([±DR]) [±nasal] [±lateral]
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Feature: [±continuant]
Includes vowels = With free or nearly free airflow
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Feature: [±delayed release] or [±DR]
= tongue is slower leaving the stop portion [t] & [d]
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= tongue is slower leaving the stop portion [t] & [d]
Feature: [±nasal] = tongue is slower leaving the stop portion [t] & [d]
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Feature: [±lateral] = only ‘l’s
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Features Representation Laryngeal Feature
[±voice] [±spread glottis] ([±SG]) [±constricted glottis] ([±CG])
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Feature: voice = voiced Includes vowels
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Feature: [±spread glottis] or [±SG]
= aspirated consonants Only ph, th & kh
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Feature: [±constricted glottis] or [±CG]
Only ʔ = With closed glottis
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Features Representation Place of Articulation
[LABIAL] [±round] [CORONAL] [±anterior] [±strident] [DORSAL] [±high] [±low] [±back] [±tense] [±reduced]
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= Using one or both lips (articulator)
Feature: LABIAL = Using one or both lips (articulator)
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Strident = Using the tongue tip or blade (articulator)
Feature: CORONAL = Using the tongue tip or blade (articulator) Strident
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= Using the tongue body (articulator)
Feature: DORSAL = Using the tongue body (articulator)
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Features Representation
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Features Representation
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