Chapter 3 Phonology

Question 1

Phonology

Answer 1

The study of the sound system of a language, how the particular sounds contrast in each language to form an integrated system for encoding information, and how such systems differ from one language to another.

Question 2

Phoneme

Answer 2

A class of speech sounds identified by a native speaker as the same sound; a mental entity (or category) related to various allophones by phonological rules. Phonemes are written between slashes, for example, /t/.

Question 3

Allophone

Answer 3

One of a set of noncontrastive realizations of the same phoneme; an actual phonetic segment.

Question 4

Types of distribution (to determine whether particular sounds are allophones of a single or separate phoneme)

Answer 4

1. Contrastive distribution
2. Complementary distribution
3. Free variation

Question 5

Phonological rule

Answer 5

The description of a relationship between a phoneme and its allophones and the conditioning environment in which the allophone appears.

Question 6

Underlying form

Answer 6

The phonemic form of a word or morpheme before phonological rules are applied.

Question 7

Conditioning environment

Answer 7

Neighboring sounds of a given sound that cause it to undergo a change.

Question 8

Types of phonological rules

Answer 8

1. Assimilation
2. Dissimilation
3. Insertion
4. Deletion
5. Metathesis
6. Strengthening
7. Weakening

Question 9

Implicational law

Answer 9

Observation about language universals that takes the form of an implication (e.g., if A then B, meaning that if a language has feature A, then we can expect it to have feature B).

Question 10

4 aspects of more common and less common sounds

Answer 10

1. Sound inventories
2. Frequency and distribution
3. Acquisition of sounds
4. Sound change

Question 11

Basic allophone/the elsewhere allophone

Answer 11

The allophone of a phoneme that is used when none of the change-inducing conditions are fulfilled. Of a set of allophones, it is generally least limited in where it can occur.

Question 12

Restricted allophone

Answer 12

An allophone of a phoneme that appears in a more limited set of phonetic environments.

Question 13

Near-minimal pair

Answer 13

Similar to a minimal pair, but whereas the words in a minimal pair are identical apart from the contrastive sounds, the words in a near-minimal pair are only almost identical, apart from the contrastive sounds.

Question 14

Palatalization

Answer 14

A process wherein a sound takes on a palatal place of articulation, usually in assimilation to high or mid front vowels like [i] or [e].

Question 15

Vowel harmony

Answer 15

Long-distance assimilation between vowels.

Question 16

Aspiration

Answer 16

A puff of air that follows the release of a consonant when there is a delay in the onset of voicing. Symbolized by a superscript .

Question 17

Obstruent

Answer 17

A natural class of sounds produced with an obstruction of the airflow in the oral cavity while the nasal cavity is closed off.

Question 18

Sonorant

Answer 18

Sound (usually voiced) produced with a relatively open passage of airflow. Nasals, liquids, glides, and vowels are all sonorants.

Question 19

Sibilant

Answer 19

A member of the natural class of sounds that are characterized by a high-pitched hissing quality.

Question 20

Natural class

Answer 20

Group of sounds in a language that satisfy a given description to the exclusion of other sounds in that language.

Question 21

Overlapping distribution

Answer 21

The occurrence of sounds in the same phonetic environments.

Question 22

Free variation

Answer 22

Term used to refer to two sounds that occur in overlapping environments but cause no distinction in the meaning of their respective words.

Question 23

Complementary distribution

Answer 23

The occurrence of sounds in a language such that they are never found in the same phonetic environment. Sounds that are in complementary distribution are allophones of the same phoneme.

Question 24

Contrastive distribution

Answer 24

The occurrence of sounds in a language such that their use distinguishes between the meanings of the words in which they appear, indicating that those sounds are phonemes of the language in question. Sounds that are in contrastive distribution are allophones of different phonemes.

Question 25

Phonetic environment

Answer 25

The sounds that come before and after a particular sound in a word.