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Linguistics 401, section 2HalePhonology: allophones & phonemesOctober 15, 2003Phonemic analysis: a theory of distinctionObservation to be explainedSome of the possible phonetic distinctions in a language are systematically related to theirsurrounding context.For instance, not all l ’s are the same in English (subscriptring m eans voiceless).(1)blue[bluw]plow[plaw]gleam[glijm]clap[klæp]slip[slIp]clear[klijr]flog[flAg]play[plej]leaf[lijf](2) What’s the distributi on?[l] [l]after [−voice] stop no yeselsewhere yes noThere is a surprising amount of this kind of structure in the sound patterns o f naturallanguages. Why?coarticulation ove rlapping articulation of segments that are adjacent to one another. Thisoverlap happens beca use transitions between vocal tract states are gradual.phonological processes a change in articulation conditioned by nearby soundsAlthough many processes can be understood as originating from coarticulation, there existothers that are purely grammatical. Different languages have different processes.(3) Example: nasal assimilation in English (superscript ˜ tilde me ans nasalized)•English vowels are [−nasal] in most contexts:[bIt](into an apple),[lis](wasreviewed by a lawyer),[bAg](where peat moss grows)....•vowels becomes [+nasal] when followed by a nasal consonant:[b In](threw intoa),[l in](against a wall),[b AN](the sound a bell makes)...Every vowel phoneme has, in fact, two allophones.(4) Scots Gaelic has a similar process (:means long vowel)[m o:r]‘big’[n i]‘cattle’[n e:l]‘cloud’[m u]‘about’[r u:n]‘secret’Vowels are nasal in Scots Gaelic when preceded or followe d by a nasal consonant.1(5) Malay does, too[m e w ah]‘luxurious’[m a j aN]‘stalk’[m arah]‘scold’[n a EP]‘ascend’[m 9laraN]‘forbid’[m akan]‘eat’[rum ah]‘house’[k9reta]‘car’All vowels and glides following a nasal in Malay are predictably nasalized until a non-nasalconsonant is reached.(6)For the French, nasality is contrastive(page 545 in Fromkin)[mE]‘but’[m E]‘hand’[tKE]‘very’[tK E]‘train’ExplanationPostulate two levels1. underlying form (string of phonemes that are distinctive in this language)2. surface or phonetic form (specifying particular phones in a language-independent way)and provide phonological rules that derive the surface form from the underlying form.The rule format we will use is A → B/ C D “A rewritten as B in the context where it ispreceeded by C and followed by D.”Any of A, B, C, D might be written more generally as a feature matrix+ feature− feature...A feature matrix makes p os itive or negative reference to a combination of phonologicalfeatures like nasal, voiced, high, affricate etc. Such combinations specify natural classes.For instance, further English voicing data indicates that /r/ patterns with /l/ just as in(1).(7)brew[bruw]prow[praw]green[grijn]trip[trIp]drip[drIp]creep[krijp]frog[frAg]pray[krejshrimp[SrImp]so do /j/ and /w/(8)beauty[bjuwRij]putrid[pjuwtrId]Duane[dwejn]twin[twIn]Gwen[gwEn]quick[kwIk]view[vjuw]cute[kjuwtswim[swIm]thwack[Twæk]"+ approximant+ voice#→h− voicei/"+ stop− voice#“English approximants have voicelessallophones after voiceless stops; else-where such approximants are voiced.”2Techniquesminimal pair two forms with distinct meanings that differ by only one segment, in thesame position. suggests existence of two different phonemescomplementary distribution the set of contexts surrounding X is disjoint from the setof contexts surrounding Y . suggests X and Y are allophones.(9) Japanese. Are[s]–[S]allophones of separate phonemes or the same phoneme? Whatabout[h]and[f]? Give a rule for this process.1.[higaSi]east 8.[honto]really2.[heya]room 9.[fuRui]old3.[hyaku]one hundred 10.[futatsu]two units4.[gohan]cooked rice 11.[Simasu]do5.[haha]mother 12.[ofuRo]bath6.[SiRoi]white 13.[sensei]teacher7.[san]three 14.[soRa]sky(10) Tojolabal is a language spoken in Mexico. Determine whether plain[k]and glot-talized[kP]are allophones of a single phoneme, in free variation, or in contrast.1.[kisim]my beard 7.[sak]white2.[cakPa]chop it down 8.[kPiSin]warm3.[koktit]our feet 9. [skuÙu] he is carrying it4.[kaPk]flea 10.[kPuutes]to dress5.[pPakan]hanging 11.[snika]he stirred it6. [kPaPem] sugar cane 12. [PkP]read(11) Consider the distribution of[s]and[z]in (just) thes e Italian words.1.[sala]room 6.[kaza]house2.[uza]I use 7.[askOlti]you listen3.[mostra]he/she shows 8.[dizerto]] desert4.[sOL:o]throne 9.[sfera]sphere5.[tes:Ere]to weave


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MSU LIN 401 - LECTURE NOTES

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