What is Phonology?

Question 1

Phonology

Answer 1

The study of the distribution of sounds in a language and the interactions between those different sounds

Question 2

Phonetic constraints

Answer 2

Restrictions on possible combinations of sounds

Question 3

Sound substitution

Answer 3

A process whereby sounds that already exist in a language are used to replace sounds that do not exist in the language when borrowing or when a speaker is trying to pronounce a foreign word

Question 4

Allophone

Answer 4

one of a set of noncontrastive realizations of the same phoneme; an actual phonetic segment

Question 5

Phoneme

Answer 5

A class of speech sounds identified by a native speaker as the same; written between slashes, for example /t/

Question 6

Noncontrastive

Answer 6

A term used to describe two sounds that are not used to differentiate words in a lnaguage

Question 7

Distribution

Answer 7

The set of phonetic environments in which a sound occurs

Question 8

Constrastive distribution

Answer 8

The occurrence of sounds in a language such that their use distinguishes between the meaning of the words in which they appear, indicating that those sounds are phonemes of the language in question; allophones of different phonemes

Question 9

Minimal pair

Answer 9

Two words that differ only by a single sound in the same position and that have different meanings

Question 10

Alternation

Answer 10

A difference between two or more phonetic forms that one might expect to be related

Question 11

Complementary distribution

Answer 11

The occurrence of sounds in a language such that they are never found in the same phonetic environment. Sounds that are in complementary distribution are allophones of the same phoneme

Question 12

Free variation

Answer 12

Term used to refer to two sounds that occur in overlapping environments but cause no distinction in the meaning of their respective words

Question 13

Overlapping distribution

Answer 13

The occurrence of sounds in the same phonetic environments

Question 14

Phonological rule

Answer 14

The description of a relationship between a phoneme and its allophones and the conditioning environment in which the allophone appears

Question 15

Underlying form

Answer 15

The phonemic form of a word or morpheme before phonological rules are applied

Question 16

Conditioning environment

Answer 16

Neighboring sound of a given sound that cause it to undergo a change

Question 17

Natural class

Answer 17

Group of sounds in a language that satisfy a given description to the exclusion of other sounds in that language

Question 18

Obstruent

Answer 18

A natural class of sounds produced with an obstruction of the airflow in the oral cavity while the nasal cavity is closed off. Ex: orals stops, fricatives, and affricates

Question 19

Sonorant

Answer 19

Sound (usually voiced) produced with a relatively open passage of air flow. Ex: nasals, liquids, glides, and vowels

Question 20

Assimilation

Answer 20

A process by which a sound becomes more like a nearby sound in terms of some feature(s)

Question 21

Dissimilation

Answer 21

Process by which two nearby sounds become less alike with respect to some feature

Question 22

Insertion

Answer 22

Phonological process by which a segment not present in the phonemic form is added in the phonetic form

Question 23

Deletion

Answer 23

A process by which a sound present in the phonemic form is removed from the phonetic form in certain environments

Question 24

Metathesis

Answer 24

Switching of the order of two sounds, each taking the place of the other

Question 25

Strengthening

Answer 25

A process through which sounds are made “stronger” according to some criterion

Question 26

Weakening

Answer 26

A process through which sounds are made “weaker” according to some criterion