PHONOTACTICPHONOTACTICS S

ANDAND SYLLABLE SYLLABLE

THE PHONEMETHE PHONEME

SpeechSpeech – continuous stream of sounds – continuous stream of soundsStudy of speech – dividing the stream Study of speech – dividing the stream

into into segmentssegmentsThe total number of sounds actually The total number of sounds actually

produced – infinite; yet, what is produced – infinite; yet, what is important is whether their interchange important is whether their interchange brings about the change in meaningbrings about the change in meaning

If yes, the sound is called If yes, the sound is called the phonemethe phoneme

A A phonemephoneme - - the smallest ‘distinctive soundthe smallest ‘distinctive sound unit unit ’ of a language’ of a language

It It distinguishesdistinguishes one word from another in a one word from another in a given language. given language.

changing a phoneme in a word produces changing a phoneme in a word produces another wordanother word, that has a different meaning. In , that has a different meaning. In the pair of words (minimal pairs) 'cat' and 'bat', the pair of words (minimal pairs) 'cat' and 'bat', the distinguishing sounds /the distinguishing sounds /kk/ and /b/ are both / and /b/ are both phonemes.phonemes.

The phoneme is an abstract termThe phoneme is an abstract term (a speech (a speech sound as it exists in the mind of the speaker) and sound as it exists in the mind of the speaker) and it is specific to a particular language. it is specific to a particular language.

A phoneme may have several A phoneme may have several allophonesallophones, , related soundsrelated sounds that are that are distinctdistinct but but do not change the meaningdo not change the meaning of a word when they are interchanged. of a word when they are interchanged.

The sounds corresponding to the letter The sounds corresponding to the letter ´́tt´́ in the English words 'tea' and 'trip' in the English words 'tea' and 'trip' are not in fact quite the same. The are not in fact quite the same. The position of the tongue is slightly position of the tongue is slightly different, which causes a difference in different, which causes a difference in sound detectable by an instrument such sound detectable by an instrument such as a speech spectrograph. Thus the [t] as a speech spectrograph. Thus the [t] in 'tea' and the [t] in 'trip' are in 'tea' and the [t] in 'trip' are allophones of the phoneme /t/.allophones of the phoneme /t/.

ALLOPHONESALLOPHONES

If there is a strict separation of If there is a strict separation of places where particular realizations places where particular realizations of a phoneme (i.e. allophones of a of a phoneme (i.e. allophones of a phoneme) can occur, they are said to phoneme) can occur, they are said to be in be in complementary distributioncomplementary distribution (e.g. the aspirated and unaspirated (e.g. the aspirated and unaspirated realizations of ´t´, like in ´tin´ and realizations of ´t´, like in ´tin´ and ´trip´)´trip´)

SYLLABLESYLLABLE Just like sounds, syllables can be defined Just like sounds, syllables can be defined

both phonetically and phonologicallyboth phonetically and phonologicallyPhonetically: they consist of a Phonetically: they consist of a centrecentre

with with minor or no obstructionminor or no obstruction to the to the airflow, and airflow, and the beginning and endthe beginning and end with with greater obstructiongreater obstruction to the airflow to the airflow

Phonologically: vowels and consonants Phonologically: vowels and consonants having different distributionhaving different distribution

SYLLABLESYLLABLE

MinimumMinimum syllable: a single vowel in syllable: a single vowel in isolation: /a:/, /isolation: /a:/, /ּכּכ::/, //, /∫/∫/, /m/, /m/

Some syllables have an Some syllables have an onset onset (more (more than silence before the central vowel): than silence before the central vowel): ´bar´´bar´

Some syllables have a Some syllables have a codacoda more than more than silence after the central vowel): ´ease´silence after the central vowel): ´ease´

Some syllables have Some syllables have onsetonset and and codacoda: : ´run´´run´

PHONOTACTICSPHONOTACTICS

is the is the study of thestudy of the possible phoneme possible phoneme combinations of a languagecombinations of a language: what : what can occur at a word beginning or endcan occur at a word beginning or end

In English, a word can begin with a In English, a word can begin with a vowel, 1, 2, or 3 consonantsvowel, 1, 2, or 3 consonants

In English, a word can end in a vowel, In English, a word can end in a vowel, 1, 2, 3 or 4 consonants1, 2, 3 or 4 consonants

SYLLABLE INITIAL SOUNDSSYLLABLE INITIAL SOUNDS Syllable Syllable onsetsonsets::- A vowelA vowel (any vowel but / (any vowel but /υυ/) = /) = zero onsetzero onset- A consonantA consonant (any cons. but / (any cons. but /ŋŋ/,//,/ζζ/ is rare)/ is rare)- Two or more consTwo or more cons. = consonant cluster. = consonant cluster- pre-initial /s/ + initial pre-initial /s/ + initial

/p/,/t/,/k/,/f/,/m/,/n/,/l/,/w/,/r/,/j/ (´sphere´)/p/,/t/,/k/,/f/,/m/,/n/,/l/,/w/,/r/,/j/ (´sphere´)- a set of some 15 cons. as initial + one of a set of some 15 cons. as initial + one of

cons. /l/,/r/,/w/,/j/ as post-initial (´clear´)cons. /l/,/r/,/w/,/j/ as post-initial (´clear´)- Three-cons.Three-cons. initial cluster: pre-initial /s/ + initial cluster: pre-initial /s/ +

initial /p/,/t/,/k/ + post-initial /l/,/r/,/w/ initial /p/,/t/,/k/ + post-initial /l/,/r/,/w/ (´split´)(´split´)

SYLLABLE FINAL SOUNDSSYLLABLE FINAL SOUNDS Zero codaZero coda = no final cons. = no final cons. Final consFinal cons.=any cons. except /h/,/r/,/w/,/j/.=any cons. except /h/,/r/,/w/,/j/ Two-cons. clustersTwo-cons. clusters: :

-- pre-final /m/n/pre-final /m/n/ŋŋ/l/s/ /l/s/ + final (´bank´)+ final (´bank´)

-- final + post-final /s/z/t/d/final + post-final /s/z/t/d/θθ/ (may be separate / (may be separate morphemes) (´beds´)morphemes) (´beds´)

Three-cons. clustersThree-cons. clusters::- pre-final+final+post-final (twelfth)pre-final+final+post-final (twelfth)- final+post-final 1 +post-final 2 (fifths)final+post-final 1 +post-final 2 (fifths)- pre-final+final+post-final 1+ post-final 2 (twelfths)pre-final+final+post-final 1+ post-final 2 (twelfths)- final+ post-final 1+post-final 2+ post-final 3 final+ post-final 1+post-final 2+ post-final 3

(sixths)(sixths)

BORDER CASES?BORDER CASES?

Syllabic consonants at the centre of Syllabic consonants at the centre of the syllable instead of a vowelthe syllable instead of a vowel

QQ: How many syllables are there in : How many syllables are there in ´students´ /´stju:dnts/? ´students´ /´stju:dnts/?

AA: One or two!!!: One or two!!!

RECENT PHONOLOGICAL TIPSRECENT PHONOLOGICAL TIPS

SyllableSyllable

rhymerhyme

onsetonset peakpeak codacoda(centre/(centre/

nucleus)nucleus)

SYLLABLE DIVISIONSYLLABLE DIVISIONAlternative analyses possible in many Alternative analyses possible in many

cases: e.g. ambisyllabic cons. in ´carry´ cases: e.g. ambisyllabic cons. in ´carry´ The ´extra´ case – much discussedThe ´extra´ case – much discussedThe ´standing´ case – much discussed The ´standing´ case – much discussed The ´boundary´ case – much discussedThe ´boundary´ case – much discussedNo obvious way of deciding whether to No obvious way of deciding whether to

follow the phonetic (CVC) or grammatical follow the phonetic (CVC) or grammatical instinct (base form + extension)instinct (base form + extension)