Language Science Quiz 1 Material

Themes in Linguistic Study

-Language is systematic and rule-governed.

-Variation exists across speakers and contexts.

-Many properties are arbitrary.

-Language acquisition is innate.

-All languages change over time.

Linguistic Competence

hidden knowledge of language

Linguistic Performance

observable use of language

Components of Language Knowledge

1. Phonetics

2. Phonology

3. Morphology

4. Syntax

5. Semantics

6. Pragmatics

Phonetics

Knowledge of speech sounds, including:

-speech vs. not

-your language vs another language

-how to produce each sound

Phonology

Knowledge of how speech sounds work together as a system, including:

-Possible vs impossible

-words spoken by different speakers

-identification of word boundaries in spoken speech

Morphology

Knowledge of how to create new words and break down words into smaller parts that have a particular meaning or function.

-Morpheme: the smallest unit of speech with meaning

-Produce and understand new words

-Words vs nonwords

Syntax

How words combine to form phrases and sentences.

-Grammatical vs ungrammatical

Semantics

Ability to determine meaning

Pragmatics

Ability to use context to interpret an utterance's meaning.

-Intended meaning

-Appropriate vs inappropriate

Lexicon

Mental dictionary known words

Mental Grammar

internalized rules for language use. Acquired naturally through exposure

Descriptive Grammar

what speakers actually do

Prescriptive Grammar

what speakers "should" do

Modality

tells us how a language is produced and perceived

Auditory-vocal

spoken language

Visual-gestural

signed language

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

represents sounds of words, not their spellings

Three Systems of speech

respiratory, laryngeal, supralaryngeal

Respiratory system

lungs, thoracic (chest) cavity, diaphragm, trachea (windpipe)

laryngeal system

larynx (voice box), vocal folds

supralaryngeal system

pharynx (throat), nasal cavity, oral cavity, articulators

Ways articulation is described

1. Voice

2. Place

3. Manner

Voicing

whether or not a consonant sound is produced with a vocal fold vibration.

-voiceless

-voiced

-whisper

Place

Where a consonant sound is produced.

-Bilabial

-Labiodental

-Interdental

-Alveolar

-Post-Alveolar

-Palatal

-Velar

-Glottal

Manner

How a consonant sound is produced.

-Stops (bilabial, alveolar, velar, glottal)

-Fricatives

-Affricates

-Nasals (bilabial, alveolar, velar)

-Glides

-Liquids

Manner: Stops

2 articulators come together to form a complete constriction (closure) of the vocal tract. AKA plosives (air pressure is released when constriction is opened)

Manner: Bilabial Stop

/p/ voicing, /b/ voicing

What happens? Two lips come together to form complete constriction (closure). Pressure built up behind closed lips. Constriction released. Expulsion of air from the oral cavity. Audible noise burst.

Manner: Alveolar Stop

/t/ voicing, /d/ voicing

What happens? The tip of the tongue forms complete constriction with the alveolar ridge. Sides of tongue form complete constriction with upper molars.

Manner: Velar Stop

/k/ voicing, /g/ voicing

What happens? The back of the tongue forms a complete constriction with the velum (soft palate). Pressure built up behind the tongue. Constriction released. Expulsion of air from the oral cavity. Audible noise burst.

Manner: Glottal Stop

/ˀ/ voiceless

What happens? Vocal folds come together to form complete constriction (closure). Pressure built up behind the vocal folds. Constriction released. Expulsion of air from the oral cavity. Accompanied by an audible noise burst.

More common in British English.

Manner: Nasals

Airstream is completely obstructed in the oral cavity.

Two articulators come together, forming a complete constriction:

- /m/ = two lips (bilabial)

- /n/ = tongue tip and alveolar ridge (alveolar)

- /ŋ/ (ng sound) = back of tongue and velum (velar)

Velum lowered so that air and sound escape through the nasal cavity.

Manner: Fricatives

2 articulators come together to form a partial constriction (narrowing) in the vocal tract. Air is forced through a narrowing at the point of constriction. Turbulence creates noise (friction).

Manner: Labiodental Fricative

/f/

/v/

What happens? Air stream forced through narrow constriction formed by lower lip and upper teeth.

Manner: Interdental Fricative

/θ/ unvoiced th

/ð/voiced th

What happens? Produced by air forced through a constriction formed by the apex (or blade) of the tongue and the lower part of the central incisors. Turbulence occurs at the point of constriction. Sides of tongue contact the upper molar to direct air toward the constriction.

Manner: Alveolar Fricatives

/s/

/z/

What happens? Tongue tip up. The sides of the tongue make contact with the upper molars. Narrow groove along the midline of the tongue. Air forced through the groove, against the upper central incisors, and out between the teeth.

Manner: Palatal Fricative

/ʃ/ sh sound unvoiced

/ʒ/ sh sound voiced

AKA postalveolar or palatoalveolar

What happens? Hard palate, groove (broader), tongue blade, lips are rounded.

Manner: Glottal Fricative

/h/

What happens? Breath stream is forced through the abducted vocal folds, causing vibration throughout the vocal tract. No voiced cognate.

Manner: Affricates

/dʒ/ voiced

/tʃ/ voiceless "ch" in chair

Combination of stops and fricatives: Point of constriction begins at the alveolar ridge, but is released at the constriction formed by the tongue and palate.

Manner: Glides

/w/, /j/

Gliding motion of articulators, articulators in motion

Manner: Liquids

/ɹ/ two different types of pronunciation:

-Retroflexed: (1) tongue tip curled up and back toward the alveolar ridge; (2) tongue root approximates the pharynx

/ɹ/ = voiced palatal liquid common in English

/r/ = voiced palatal trill common in Spanish

Articulatory Properties of Vowels

-Tongue height: high, mid, low

-Tongue advancement: front, central, back

-Lip rounding: rounded, unrounded

-Tenseness: tense, lax

Monophthongs

simple vowels composed of a single configuration of the vocal tract

Monophthongs: Front High Vowels

/i/ "green"

/ɪ/ "fit"

Monophthongs: Front Mid Vowels

/e/"teenage"

/ɛ/ "leg"

Monophthongs: Front Low Vowel

/æ/ "bad"

Monophthongs: Back High Vowels

/u/ "shoe"

/ʊ/ "hood"

Monophthongs: Back Mid Vowels

/o/ "encyclopedia"

/ɔ/ "law"

Monophthongs: Back Low Vowel

/ɑ/ "father"

Monophthongs: Central Mid Vowels

2 sounds, 4 symbols

/ə/ "one" (unstressed)

/ʌ/ "stump" (stressed)

/ɚ/ "banker" (unstressed)

/ɝ/ "her" (stressed)

Diphthongs

a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable

Beyond English

-German and French have front rounded vowels; English does not

- French had nasalized vowels; in English, vowels are influenced by the nasals around them

Length

vowels are longer when preceding a voiced consonant (bees vs. bead)

Intonation

changes in pitch across sounds (rising vs. falling)

Tone

pitch at which syllables in a word are pronounced

Stress

emphasis given to a particular syllable in a multisyllable word

Graphemes

printed letters

Syllables

basic building blocks of words. Each syllable contains one vowel sound (nucleus), an onset, and a rhyme (consists of nucleus & coda)

Morphemes

the smallest units of meaning within a language

Free Morphemes

morphemes that can stand alone

Bound Morphemes

Morphemes that cannot stand alone.

Phonemes

a speech sound that changes the meaning of a word

Parameters of Articulation in Sign Language

Location, Movement, Handshape, Orientation

Parameters of Articulation in Sign Language: Location

where the sign is made, signed languages have a signing space

Parameters of Articulation in Sign Language: Movement

- Vertical vs. horizontal

- Starting/ending position

- fingers/wrist

Parameters of Articulation in Sign Language: Orientation

direction the palm is facing

Parameters of Articulation in Sign Language: Non-manual markers

gestures not made with hands