Chapter 3 Phonology ENG 211

Question 1

Allophone

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Alteration

Answer 2

In phonology, a difference between two or more phonetic forms that one might expect to be related. In morphology, the morphological process that uses morpheme-internal modifications to make new words or morphological distinctions.

Question 3

Assimilation

Answer 3

A process by which a sound becomes more like a nearby sound in terms of some feature(s).

Question 4

Complementary Distribution

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Conditioning Environment

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Contrastive

Answer 6

A term used to describe two sounds that can be used to differentiate words in a language.

Question 7

Contrastive Distribution

Answer 7

The occurrence of sounds in a language such that their use distinguishes between the meaning 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 8

Distribution

Answer 8

The set of phonetic environments in which a sound occurs.

Question 9

Free Variation

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Labial

Answer 10

A member of a natural class of sounds produced with the lips; included both bilabial and labiodental sounds.

Question 11

Metathesis

Answer 11

Switching of the order of two sounds, each taking the place of the other.

Question 12

Minimal Pair

Answer 12

Two words that differ only by a single sound in the same position and that have different meaning.

Question 13

Natural Class

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Noncontrastive

Answer 14

A term used to describe two sounds that are not used to differentiate words in a language.

Question 15

Obligatory Rule

Answer 15

Phonological, morphological, or syntactic rule that applies in the speech of all speakers of a language or dialect, regardless of style or rate of speech.

Question 16

Obstruent

Answer 16

A natural class of sounds produced with an obstruction of the airflow in the oral cavity while the nasal cavity is closed off. Includes oral stops, fricatives, and affricates.

Question 17

Ovelapping

Answer 17

The occurrence of sounds in the same phonetic environments

Question 18

Palatalization

Answer 18

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 19

Phoneme

Answer 19

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 20

Phonological Rule

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Sibilant

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Sonorant

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Sound Substitution

Answer 23

A process whereby sounds that already exist in a language are used to replace sounds that do not exist in the language when borrowing or when a speaker is trying to pronounce a foreign word.

Question 24

Strengthening

Answer 24

A process through which sounds are made “stronger” according to some criterion.

Question 25

Weakening

Answer 25

A process through which sounds are made “ weaker” according to some criterion.