Phonology: The Function and Pattering of Sounds Flashcards
Phonology
The component of a grammar made up of the elements and principles that determine how sounds pattern in a language.
Feature (phonological)
The smallest unit of analysis of phonological structure, combinations of which make up segments (e.g., [nasal], [continuant]).
Segments
Individual speech sounds.
Contrast
Segments are said to contrast when their presence alone may distinguish forms with different meanings from each other (e.g., [s] and [z] in the words sip and zip).
Syllable
A unit of linguistic structure that consists of a syllabic element and any segments that are associated with it. (See also Onset, Nucleus, Coda.)
Minimal pair
Two forms with distinct meanings that differ by only one segment found in the same position in each form (e.g., [ʃip] and [ʃip]).
Near-minimal pair
Two forms with distinct meanings that contrast segments in nearly identical environments.
Environment
The phonetic context in which a sound occurs.
Phonemes
Distinctive sounds in a language that contrast with other sounds in that language (e.g., the sounds [i] and [i] as in rich and reach contrast with each other as separate phonemes in English but not in Spanish).
Complementary distribution
The distribution of allophones in their respective phonetic environments such that one never appears in the same phonetic context as the other (e.g., the distribution of long and short vowels in English).
Phonetic representation
What is actually produced in speech after rules have been applied to the underlying representation (i.e., predictable variants, or allophones).
Allophones
Variants of a phoneme, usually in complementary distribution and phonetically similar (e.g., voiced and voiceless l in English).
Phonemic representation
The representation that consists of the phonemes to which allophones belong; predictable phonetic information is not represented.
Phonetic transcription
A type of transcription of sounds in which not only phonemic differences but also phonetic details are recorded.
Free variation
The free alternation of allophones and/or phonemes in a given environment (e.g., sto[p], sto[p]; /ε/conomics, /i/conomics).
Phonemic transcription
A type of transcription of sounds where phonetic details are ignored and only phonemic contrast is recorded.
Sonorant (sound)
A sound that is “singable” in contrast with an obstruent.
Suprasegmental
Above the individual speech sound. (Syllables are suprasegmental.)
Obstruent
Any nonsonorant consonant: fricatives, affricates, oral stops.
Rhyme (R)
The nucleusand the codaof a syllable (e.g., [uts] in the word boots).
Onset (O)
The portion of a syllable that precedes the nucleus (e.g., /spl/ in spleen).
Nucleus (N)
A vocalic element that forms the core of a syllable (e.g., the vowel is the nucleus of the first syllable of Patrick).
Phonotactics
The set of constraints on how sequences of segments pattern.
Coda (Co)
The elements that follow the nucleus in the same syllable (e.g., [ɹf] in surf).
Accidental gaps
Nonoccurring but possible forms of a language (e.g., in English, blork).
Open syllable
A syllable that is not closed by a consonant.