Syllables & Tone Flashcards
Why does phonology account for syllable structure
Syllable structure can affect alternations, allophonic variation/distribution, and stress.
How do syllables organise themselves?
Around a peak of sonority, with the most sonorous being the nucleus.
Preceding consonants are onset, following consonants are coda.
Do any languages have constrains making onsets mandatory?
Yes
Do any languages have constraints specifying no syllables may have codas?
Yes
What is the requirement for a syllable to be “heavy”
The syllable has to be bimoraic i.e. two moras
if theres only one more (monomoraic), its light
Do any languages require codas
No
How do you define sonority in regards to syllable structure
Sonorotiy is the relative degree of “openness” of the vocal tract, roughly equal to loudness as well.
Sort the following in order of sonority, most to least sonorous:
* Nasals,
* affricates,
* vowels,
* approximants,
* stops,
* fricatives
- Vowels
- Approximants
- Nasals
- Fricatives
- Affricates
- Stops
Which part of a syllable is most sonorous
The nucleus
What parts of a syllable constitute the syllable rhyme
The nucleus and the coda
When a language imposes a maximum number of moras per syllable (e.g. no more than two moras), this will typically have the consequence that long vowels get shortened in
Closed syllables
Define a closed syllable
A syllable that has a coda
What is the most common syllable type?
CV, consonant + vowel, onset and nucleus with no coda,
Starts use early on [ma.ma], [da.da]
What is a complex onset or coda
An onset or coda containing 2 or more consonants.
