Midterm prep ling Flashcards
The IPA
International phonetic alphabet, used for transcription
- 1 symbol for every sound used distinctively in 1+ languages
Airstream mechanisms
expelled = egressive inhaled = ingressive
larynx
Modulates airflow, acts as a valve
- The vocal chords
- Cartillage, muscles, tissue
Vocal tract
pharynx, oral & nasal cavity
- Filters ot modify sound
Glottis
Space between folds where air passes
Voiceless
Folds apart
- No vibration
- Sound produced = voiceless
e. g. [s], [f], [h]
Voiced
Folds together
- Air passes = vibration
- Fold vibration rate = different pitches
e. g. [z], [v]
Breathy
Folds partially open
- Vibration
- In English = different voices, not sounds
Creaky
Folds compressed and slack
- Vibrates slowly + irregularly = lower pitch
- Used to distinguish end of utterance, not sounds
Why vocal organs?
-Larynx descended lower in humans than other primates for speech
Advantage: Tongue can produce wider range of sound
Disadvantage: Easier to choke
Vowels described articulatory, Aerodynamically and by sound class (acoustic)
Artic. : Open vocal tract
Aero: Laminal (direct air flow)
Class: More acoustic energy
Consonants described particularly, Aerodynamically and by sound class (acoustic)
Artic. : Closed vocal tract
Aero: No/turbulent air flow
Class: Less acoustic energy, intervals of silence
Stops/plosives
Build up then release of pressure
- Followed by burst of air = aspiration
e. g. [p] “spin”
Fricative
Small opening, turbulent flow
Affricate
Stop with slow release
- Transcribed as stop + fricative using tie bar
e. g. “raTCHet”
Sibilant affricates and fricatives
Stridents
- Noisy
- Airstream goes through narrow channel + hits teeth
Non-sibilant affricates and fricatives
Quieter than sibilants, e.g. “th”
Obstruents
Stops, fricatives, affricates
- Obstructed airflow
- Turbulent = noise
Opposite = Sonorants
Sonorants
Liquids, approximates, glides, nasals, vowels
- Non-turbulent
- More sonorous
Opposite = Obstruents
*Nasals, liquids and glides can be syllabic
Approximates
Liquids and glides
- Liquids: change [r l] without constriction
- Glides: Short, non-syllabic vowels such as [j w]
e. g. laterals - direct air flow around sides of tongue
Nasals
Oral stops
- Lowered velum, air escapes through nose
e. g. [m n]
Articulatory description for vowels
- More open vocal tract
- Voiced, sonorants
- Articulated w/ tongue body
Acoustic description for vowels
- Louder (than consonants)
- Characteristic resonant frequencies (formant frequencies) determined by shape of vocal tract
Acoustic description
More accurate than articulatory descriptions
- Less intuitive
Monopthongs
“Simple vowels”
- Position of articulators = constant
e. g. [i]
Dipthongs
Vowel + glide
- Noticeable change in articulation
e. g. [aj]
Tense vs. lax
More vs. less constriction, longer vs. shorter, Greater distribution vs. less distribution
Dialects
Affect how vowels are pronounced
Coarticulation
Spoken language is produced in a continuous stream that we hear as individual sounds
Articulatory: Continuous flow of overlapping gestures
Acoustic: No clear breaks between sounds
- Anticipatory (e.g. nasal) vs. carry-over
Reduction
Articulatory targets not reached at fast/casual speed
Suprasegmentals
Phonetic + phonological phenomena that are overlaid on segments
- Stress, tone, and intonation
Stress
Syllables that are more prominent (longer, louder)
primary= small line below
secondary = small line above
Tone
Uses pitch to signal differences in word meaning
- Uses H M L to transcribe
e. g. MLH = Fall rise
Intonation
Uses pitch to convey post lexical meanings
- Tones associated to stressed syllables = pitch accents, star e.g. L*
- Tones associated w/ edges of utterances = boundary tones , percent e.g. %M
Length
Phonetics uses colon e.g. [mi:s]
Phoneme
Perceived to have the same function by speakers
/…/
Minimal pair
Different by 1 sound, changing changes meaning e.g. sum, sun, sung
*Near minimal cannot be right next to other contrast
Allophones
Variants of phonemes, more detail
- Complementary distribution/free variation
[…]
Phonetic vs. phonemic transcription
Phonemic = only info that affects meaning e.g. /paj/
Phonetic = specific
- Broad = rough, closer to phonemic e.g. [paj]
- Narrow = more detailed, uses diacritics e.g. /phaj/
Variants of consonant phonemes
/t/ – [t] , [th] , [r]
Complementary distribution
Allophonic variation that is predictable from context
e.g. [l/ – [l with circle] after voiceless stops
Free variation
Not predictable e.e. occurring in same segmental environment (tone)
Natural classes
Groups of sounds w/ similar properties (all + only)
- e.g. /p t k/ – voiceless stops
Underlying representation
Made of phonemes
e.g. eat – /it/
Surface representation
Derived from underlying, made of allophones
e.g. Flapping: /t/ = [r] between 2 vowels and unstressed syllables
Rules’ symbols
C = consonant V = vowel # = word boundary symbol thing = syllable boundary e.g. A -- B/X\_\_Y A becomes B when it occurs between X and Y
e.g. Liquids become voiceless after voiceless stops syllable-initially
Assimilation
2 adjacent segments become more similar
e.g. English palatalization before /j/: d– d3
grade vs gradual
Coalescence
2 segments merge into 1
Lenition + fortition
Consonantal weakening + strengthening
- Lenition: /t/ and /d/ – [r] between a stressed and unstressed vowel e.g. Atomics vs. Atom
- Fortition: /t/ == [th] at beginning of unstressed syllables
Syllables
Phonological unit that groups consonants + vowels in structures
e.g. Hawaain (C)V pattern – /a.lo.ha/
Onset, rhyme, nucleus, coda
Onset: Pre-nuclear consonants
Rhyme: Nucleus + coda
Nucleus: Head of syllable
Coda: Post-nuclear consonants
Rules for syllables
- Maximize onset
- More sonorous sounds towards middle (opposite for codas)
- No more than 2 segments in onset/coda except for extra syllabic consonants e.e. /s/
