Week 4

Question 1

When is an approximant consonant partially devoiced?

Answer 1

When voiceless plosives in the onset of a stressed syllable have a voiceless portion after their release (aspiration).
• /l/ in plot
• /r/ in trap
• /w/ in quick

Question 2

Neutral position of the vocal cords

Answer 2

Spread

Question 3

Nasalisation

Answer 3

A secondary articulation which adds nasal resonance to a sound. For example, a vowel articulation with a lowered velum results in a nasalised vowel.

The process may affect up to two sounds preceding and one sound following the nasal sound.

Question 4

What is the neutral position of the velum? And what is the position throughout a word?

Answer 4

The neutral position is low. It rises quickly for e.g. /s/. In anticipation for a nasal sound, it gradually lowers, which could already happen during a foregoing vowel. The velum is maximally low for the nasal sound. For /d/, the velum raises quickly, which has a nasal approach. The velum returns to the low position.

/sænd/

Question 5

Which kind of nasalisation is rare? And how is nasalisation incompatible? And why?

Answer 5

Nasalised fricatives. These sounds require a build-up of air pressure to make it possible. This is especially true for voiceless fricatives.

Nasalisation is incompatible with plosives. This is because plosives require a build-up of air pressure behind the oral closure. A lowered velum makes it impossible to raise the air pressure above the larynx.

Question 6

Where do the nasal vowels in French come from?

Answer 6

1. Spelling suggests that they originate from vowel + nasal (VN) sequences.
2. This is corroborated by historical evidence (Latin) and also by comparative evidence.
3. There is also regional variation; southern French doesn’t have phonemic nasal vowels.

Question 7

Extrinsic allophone

Answer 7

An allophone that cannot be predicted from the surrounding sound. The syllable position determines whether /l/ is velarised or not.

Question 8

Monosyllabic

Answer 8

One syllable