Phonology Flashcards
Contrastive and Non-Contrastive sounds
Two sounds if we interchange them, we also change the word (Bat and Pat).
Minimal pairs demonstrate what?
If a pair of words differs only in one sound, then the pair of sounds are contrastive.
When we acquire a language, we learn what?
To ignore the non-contrastive distinctions.
Ex: English speaking infants ages 6-8 months, can perceive the difference between the aspirated p sound and non aspirated p. However, by the age of 10-12 months, they can no longer perceive this difference. This is because these two sounds are non-contrastive in English.
In Hindi, however, they can still perceive the difference.
Phonemes are what?
An abstract mental category. We unconsciously perceive the aspirated and unaspirated P as the same sound, even though they are different.
Phones
The actual sound that can be produced by our vocal organs.
How do we identify Phonemes?
we look for minimal pairs.
How do allophones appear?
They appear in complementary distribution.
What is complementary distribution?
Two allophones of the same phoneme appear in different phonetic environments.
This environment detriments which allophone you are going to use.
Examples on Complementary Distribution
The phoneme /p/ has two allophones:
1- Unaspirated [p] which comes after [s] and at the end of words.
2- Aspirated [p] which comes elsewhere.
The vowel /æ/ has two allophones:
1- [æ] nasalised, which becomes nasal if it is before a nasal sound.
2- [æ] elsewhere.
What is a conditioning environment?
When an environment determines which allophone appears, we call it a conditioning environment for that allophone. Ex: [æ] after nasls.
What are free variations?
Two allophones that can appear in the same context, and the choice of the allophone is random.
What are phonological rules?
A way to describe the sound distribution in a systematic way.
Phonological rules describe what?
How the underlying phonemes translate into actual phones.
It is a rule describing which allophones appear in which conditioning environment
Examples of phonological rules
1- the phoneme /p/ is expressed as:
A) as [p] after [s]
B) as [p] or unreleased [p] at word endings
C) as aspirated [p] elsewhere
How do we start describing the structure of a word?
We start with 1—the phonemic form (aka underlying form) and 2—applying the rules to derive the phonetic form.
Phonemic form —-phonological rule—-> phonetic form.
Example on phonemic form
The word pat:
1- we start with the phonemic form: /pæt/
2- apply the rules: EX, /p/ is expressed as aspirated, when not after /s/ or word endings. etc
we end up with this form: [pʰæt̚]
summaries in a table a rule
EX: the /æ/ appears as:
Phone Conditioning environment
as [æ̃] before [m, n, or ŋ]
as [æ] elsewhere
Another way to summaries the rules
/æ/ —–> [æ̃] / before [m, n, ŋ]
Types of phonological rules
We have standard rules that appear across languages:
1-assimilation.
2-insertion.
3-deletion.
4-strengthening.
5-weaking.
6-metathesis.
What is assimilation?
when a sound changes to make it similar to the neighbouring sound.
EX: “cat” & “can” the vowel got nasalised in “can”
What are the rules for voicing assimilation in English?
/l/ —-> [l̥]/after voiceless obstruent
/l/ —-> [l]/elsewhere
What is another type of assimilation?
Palatalization: a rule that makes a consonant postalveolar or palatal when it appears before a palatal consonant. EX: Did you know —-> /dɪd ju/ —–> [dɪdʒu]
example on palatalization rules in english?
1- /t/ or /k/ —-> [t͡ʃ]/before [i] or [j]
2- /d/ —-> [d͡ʒ]/before [i] or [j]
3- /s/ —-> [ʃ]/before [i] or [j]
4- /z/ —-> [ʒ]/ before [i] or [j]
what is place of assimilation
the prefix “un” is /ʌn/, but the phoneme /n/ undergoes place of assimilation. In other words, /n/ change to match the POA of the following consonant.
example of place of assimilation rules
1- /n/ —> [n]/before a postalveolar consonant.
2- /n/ —> [m]/before a bilabial consonant.
3- /n/ —> [ŋ]/before a velour consonant
what does place of assimilation cause?
it causes neutralization: where two different phonemes are mapped onto one phone.
What is insertion/epenthesis?
a phonological rule that introduces a segment that was not present in the underlying form.
EX: strength —> /stɹɛŋθ/ —-> [stɹɛ̃ŋkθ]
hamster —-> /hæmstɹ/ —-> [hæ̃mpstɹ]
what is the rule for insertion?
after a nasal consonant, and before an obstruent, we insert a voiced stop with the same place of articulation as the nasal consonant.
∅ —-> [p]/between [m] and [s]
∅ —-> [k]/between [ŋ] and [s]
what is deletion
Phonological rule that removes a segment that was present in the underlying form. ex:
/h/ deletion —> “he handed her his hat” —> /hi ‘hændəd hɺ hiz ‘hæt/ —> [hi ‘hændəd ɺ ɪz ‘hæt]
the deletion rule is what
it is a free variation, because in slow speech we keep the /h/, in fast speech we dont.
what is strengthening
a phonological rule that makes a sound more phonetically distinct. EX: asspiration. it makes the unvoiced consonant louder, longer and more distinct from a voiced consonant.
what is weakening
a phonological rule that makes a sound less phonetically distinct. EX flapping /t/ or /d/ —> [r]
weakening can cause what?
naturalization
what is metathesis
a phonological rule that reverse the order of two sounds
