Linguistics Quiz 4

Phonology

study of the organization of sounds in a language, how sounds relate to
each other at the conceptual level

Phonology components

(a) the natural class of a speech sound
(b) whether that speech sound is a phoneme or allophone
(c) which other speech sounds may occur next to that speech sound, and
(d) where in a word that speech sound may occur (word-initially, word-medially, word-finally)
(c) & (d) = a speech sound’s “distribution” in a language

Natural class

a conceptual category, or grouping, of speech sounds based on common articulatory features

Obstruents

speech sounds that require relatively obstructed air flow during articulation

Sonorants

speech sounds that require relatively unobstructed air flow during articulation

Sibilants

speech sounds that produce relatively noisy, high-pitched, turbulent air flow (i.e. hissing)

Phoneme

The conceptual category of a speech sound often linked to multiple variants of that sound in memory

Allophone

the variants of a phoneme in actual speech (phonetic, or physical entity)

Contrast

The result of different speech sounds causing a meaning change when they occur in the same
phonetic environment, or context

Distribution

set of phonetic environments in which a speech sound occurs

Minimal pair

Two words that differ by only one speech sound, and that sound creates contrast, or a meaning change

Conditioning environment

For complementary distribution, the part of the “rule” you write in a phonological analysis that shows the trigger of the allophonic speech sound

Assimilation

speech sound becomes similar in its articulation to a neighboring sound

Dissimilation

speech sound becomes dissimilar in its articulation to a neighboring sound

Insertion

speech sound gets added to the articulation

Deletion

speech sound gets omitted from the articulation

Strengthening

one aspect of a speech sound’s articulation becomes more prominent

Weakening

one aspect of a speech sound’s articulation becomes less prominent

How to solve a phonological problem

1. Identify the speech sounds in question; in columns, list the phonetic environments in which each of those speech sounds occurs.
2. Determine the phonological distribution of the speech sounds in question: contrastive, free variation, or complementary.
3. Provide as much evidence as possible for the particular phonological distribution you found in step (2) above: If contrastive, say “same phonetic environment with meaning change – minimal pairs [Identify them]”; if free distribution, say “same phonetic environment without meaning change – no minimal pairs”; and if complementary, say “different phonetic environments that are predictable [Also add (4) below].”
4. If you find a complementary distribution: write a symbolized phonological rule that describes the conditioning environment for the change from one speech sound to the other
5. If applicable, identify the phonological process at work in the phonological rule written for step (4) above.
6. Are the sounds separate phonemes or allophones of the same phoneme.

Contrastive distribution

Two sounds that occur in the same environment and when they are substituted for one another it changes the meaning of the word. They are allophones of different phonemes. There are minimal pairs becuase there is a meaning change. It is unpredictable and contrastive.

Complementary distribution

Two sounds that do not occur in the same phonetic environment but substituting one for the other does not change the meaning of the word. They are allophones of the same phoneme. It is predictable and non-contrastive.

Free variation

Two sounds that occur in the same environment but substituting one for the other does not change the meaning of the word. They are allophones of the same phoneme. It is unpredictable and non-contrastive.