Chapter 6 Flashcards
Compare the English and the Slovak sound systems regarding the number of vowels/monophthongs
The English and Slovak sound systems differ in the number of vowels and monophthongs they have.
English sound system:
* has relatively large number of vowel sounds (14-20)
* vowels can be classified into short and long vowels, diphthongs and pure vowels or monophthongs
* further categorized based on factors like tongue height, tongue advancement and lip rounding
* larger, more complex vowel system
Slovak sound system:
* has a more conservative vowel system, has a smaller number of vowel sounds
* a system of short and long vowels, and the vowel quality can be affected by factors like vowel length and reduction in unstressed syllables
* the exact number of vowel sounds can depend on the specific dialect
* more streamlined vowel system with fewer vowel sounds in comparison to English
Compare the English and Slovak vowels/monophthongs. Focus on the differences
between the two systems.
a) Number of vowel sounds: (answered in the previous exam answer)
b) Vowel quality:
* English: front vowels (e.g. /i:/ as in “see“), central vowels (e.g. /ə/ as in “sofa“), back vowels (e.g. /u:/ as in “blue“)
* Slovak: there is less variability in terms of tongue advancement and lip rounding compared to English.
c) Length distinctions:
* English: modern English primary relies on vowel quality rather tham vowel length.
* Slovak: maintains a more robust length distinction among vowels. Vowel length can be a phonemic feature, meaning that the length of a vowel can affect the meaning of a word.
d) Rhoticity:
* English: an important feature in some accents. Certain vowels may sound different before/after the /r/ sound.
* Slovak: generally not rhotic and the pronunciation of vowels is not significantly influenced by the presence of /r/ in the same way it might be in some English accents.
e) Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables:
* English: unstressed vowels in English tend to be reduced to a centralized, schwa-like sound, influencing the quality of vowels in unstressed syllables.
* Slovak: some reduction, but not as extensive. Unstressed vowels usually maintain their quality to a greater extent.
Name the English and the Slovak diphthongs
English diphthongs: combinations of two vowel sounds within the same syllable.
* /eɪ/ - as in “day“
* /aɪ/ - as in “high“
* /ɔɪ/ - as in “boy“
* /aʊ/ - as in “cow“
* /oʊ/ - as in “go“
* /eə/ - as in “air“
* /ɪə/ - as in “ear“
* /ʊə/ - as in “tour“
Slovak diphthongs: combinations of a vowel and semivowel or glide.
* /ie/ - as in “pie“
* /ia/ - as in “liar“
* /iu/ - as in “kiwi“
* /ei/ - as in “they“
* /oi/ - as in “boy“
* /ou/ - as in “go“
* /ui/ - as in “we“
Slovak diphthongs contribute to the overall phonetic and phonological charactertistics of the language and play a role in the pronunciation of words. The semivowel or glide in the diphthong is typically represented by the symbols /i/, or /u/, indicating a transition from a vowel to a more closed or open position in the mouth.
Briefly describe the differences between the English and the Slovak systems of consonants
A. Number of consonants:
* English: a relatively large number of consonants, with around 24-26 consonant phonemes, depending on the specific dialect. English includes stops, fricatives, affricates, nasals and liquids.
* Slovak: moderate number of consonants, typically around 36-40 consonant phonemes. Slovak includes stop, fricatives, affricates, nasals and liquids as well, but it has additional consonant sounds compared to English.
B. Voicing and aspiration:
* English: has a voicing contrast for stops, meaning there is a difference between voiced and voiceless pairs (b-p, d-t, g-k). English also exhibits aspiration in voiceless stops in certain contexts.
* Slovak: has a voicing contrast for stops as well, but it does not exhibit aspiration in the same way as English. Aspiration is less prominent in Slovak voiceless stops.
C. Palatalization:
* English: does not generally exhibit palatalization of consonants to the same extent as Slovak. Palatalization involves a raising of the tongue toward the hard palate.
* Slovak: features palatalization of certain consonants, especially before front vowels. This palatalization is a distinctive feature in Slovak phonology.
D. Affricatives:
* English:/ʧ/ as in “churcH“ and /ʤ/ as in “Judge“
* Slovak: /ʧ/ and /ʤ/ but different pronunciation.
E. Liquid consonants:
* English: two (l, r)
* Slovak: two (l, r)
Compare the English and the Slovak language in terms of aspiration
In English: aspiration is a distinctive feature for voiceless stops (p, t, k) in certain phonetic environments. Aspiration is the audible release of a burst of air that follows voiceless stops. In English, voiceless stops are aspirated when they occur at the beginning of a stressed syllable and are not preceded by /s/.
Aspirated: pat /pʰæt/, top /tʰɒp/, cat /kʰæt/
Non-aspirated: spat /spæt/, stop /stɒp/, scat /skæt/
In Slovak: also has voiceless stops, but aspiration is not a distinctive feature in the same way as in English. Aspiration is not a phonemic feature that distinguishes word meanings in Slovak.
Pes, top, krk (p, t, k) are not aspirated in the same was as their English counterparts.
Compare the English and the Slovak word stress
word stress in English:
a. Fixed stress patterns: in a majority of eng.words, stress falls on one syllable, creating a rhythmic pattern. The position of stress in English words can be influenced by factors such as word class, syllable structure and suffixes.
b. Initial stress: many eng.words, especially nouns and adjectives exhibit initial stress. (Table, YELlow, HAPpy – the stressed syllable is the 1st one)
c. Secondary stress: in longer words or compound words, english may exhibit secondary stress on syllables other than the primary stressed syllable. This secondary stress is not as strong as the primary stress but is still noticeable.
Word stress in Slovak:
a. Variable stress patterns: the position of stress is influenced by syllable, weight, vowel length and the presence of certain consonant clusters.
b. Penultimate stress: stress falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable. (KOĽko, DEŇ, KNIha)
c. Final stress in loanwords: in loanwords from other languages (german, latin), Slovak may exhibit final stress.
Comparison:
* Consistency: English stress patterns are more consistent and rule-based compared to Slovak, where stress patterns can vary more extensively.
* Initial vs. Penultimate stress: while English often exhibits initial stress, Slovak tends to favor penultimate stress, creating a different rhythmic pattern in the two languages.
* Secondary stress: English commonly features secondary stress in longer words, whereas secondary stress is less prominent and systematic in Slovak.
Compare the English and the Slovak stress concerning its lexical function.
Lexical stress in English:
* Word differentiation: word stress plays a crucial role in deffereniating between word meanings. Changing the position of stress in a word can result in a change of meaning. (reJECT – noun, that has stress on the 1st syllable), (reJECT- a verb, that has stress on the second syllable)
* Contrasts in word pairs: CONvert (verb) and conVERT (noun) have different stress patterns, distinguishing their grammatical functions.
* Compound words: the primary stress is typically on the first element. ICE cream and SUNflower.
Lexical stress in Slovak:
* Word differentiation: lexical stress is generally less prominent than in English for differentiating word meanings. Changes in stress position within a word may not necessarily result in a change of meaning.
* Secondary stress in compounds: secondary stress on the second element, especially in longer compounds. The primary stress tends to be on the initial element.
* Loanwords and foreign influences: the stress patterns of loanwords, particularly those from languages with different stress patterns, may be retained. This can result in variations in stress placement.
Compare the elision of the English and the Slovak Vowels.
Elision of vowels in English:
1. Schwa elision: in unstressed syllables, the schwa sound is often subject to elision. In rapid speech, the schwa may be completely elided, leaving a consonant cluster or a modified pronunciation of the surrounding consonants. (sofa /´səʊ.fə/ may be pronounced as /´səʊf/ in casual speech).
2. Vowel reduction: unstressed vowels in English often undergo reduction, leading to a centralized, neutral vowel sound, which can sometimes be perceived as elision. This is common in function words, prepositions and articles.
Elision of vowels in Slovak:
1. Vowel reduction: in unstressed syllables, where unstressed vowels may be pronounced with a more centralized quality or be less prominent than stressed vowels.
2. Influence of consonant clusters: in fast speech or casual conversation, Slovak vowels between consonant clusters may undergo elision or reduction.
