Assimilation
1.Definition
- Assimilation is the process which takes place when one sound adapts itself to become similar to a neighboring sound in one or more aspects.
- In other words, assimilation is the influence of one phoneme upon another neighboring phoneme, so that they become more alike.
- Assimilation may occur across word boundaries or between words, across morpheme boundaries or within a morpheme or a word.
2. Kinds of assimilation
Direction of change: Regressive assimilation & Progressive assimilation
The way in which phoneme change: Assimilation of place & Assimilation of manner & Assimilation of voice.
3. Assimilation: in terms of the direction of change
*.Regressive assimilation
The phoneme that comes first is affected by the one that comes after it.
(Cf changes to become like Ci)
Example:
that person [ðæp'pəːsn]
bright color [braik 'kʌlə]
*.Progressive assimilation
The phoneme that comes first affects the one that comes after it.
(Ci changes to become Cf in some ways)
Example:
in the [in nə]
get them [get təm]
4. Assimilation: the way of changes
*.Assimilation of place of articulation
a. Alveolar + bilabial → bilabial:
/t/ becomes [p] before bilabial
/d/ becomes [b] before bilabial
/n/ becomes [m] before bilabial
b. Alveolar + velar → velar
/t/ becomes [k] before /k/ and /g/
/d/ becomes [g] before /k/ and /g/
/n/ becomes [ŋ] before /k/ and /g/
c. Alveolar + dental → dentalized
Get there
tenth
bad thing
d. Alveolar + palato-alveolar or palatal → palatol
/s/ becomes [∫] before /∫/ or /j/
/z/ becomes [ʒ] before /∫/ or /j/
Alveolar stops and a following /j/ may merge to form an ffricate
*. Assimilation of manner
(Only regressive assimilation of alveolar consonant )
a.Plosive + fricative → fricative
/t/ + /s/ → /s/
/t/ + /z/ → /z/
/d/ + /s/ → /s/
/d/ + /z/ → /z/
b. Plosive + nasal → nasal
/t/ + /n/ → /n/
/d/ + /n/ → /n/
*.Assimilation of voice
(Only regressive assimilation of voice )
Cf (Lenis) + Ci (Fortis) → Cf becomes devoiced