Phonology: More on allophones and phonemes

Phonology:More on allophones and phonemes LING 400 Winter 2010

Overview • Review of phonology • Data sets • Mohawk stops • Russian velar stops Please turn off your cell phone

Phonemic vs. phonetic representations • Phonetic representation • directly observable • contains measurable properties • Phonemic representation • inferred, not observed • abstract, streamlined representation of sound • Levels related by phonological rules

Inferring the phonemic representation • Minimal pairs/sets • sounds in contrast • Complementary distribution • sounds not in contrast

Minimal pair • Two words differing in meaning and only one phonetic property • A minimal pair for voicing in English • [|kɹæbi] crabby vs. [|kɹæpi] crappy • therefore, /p b/ in English • Phonetic difference between pair not due to context • Minimal pairs contain phonemes

Near-minimal pairs/sets • Sometimes not many minimal pairs • [θ], [ð]: [θɑɪ] thigh, [ðɑɪ] thy; ether, either • Sometimes minimal pairs lacking • [ʃ], [ʒ] • none word initially • word medially: [ə|luʃən] Aleutian, [ɪ|luʒən]~[ə|luʒən] illusion • Rule for inferring phonemes from near-minimal pairs • sounds must be in “same environment” or close to it • [phɑɪ], [spɑɪ] not a minimal pair for aspiration in English ([p], [ph] not in same environment)

Complementary distribution of sounds • Predictable aspects of pronunciation can be due to • Influence of neighboring sound • Position within word

Mohawk • Iroquoian family; spoken in Quebec, Ontario, and New York map from www.ssila.org

Mohawk stops • Observation: [p t k b d g] are all sounds of Mohawk • Suspicion: there are no minimal or near-minimal pairs for voicing • Question: Is stop voicing phonemic or predictable?

Mohawk phonetic data of interest: [p t k b d g] [V:] = long vowel, [C̥] = voiceless consonant

Finding patterns in a mass of data • Often useful to • rearrange the data • [p t k] vs. [b d g] • simplify the data • list immediately preceding, following sound/position • Then look for • natural classes of sounds, those sharing some property not shared by other sounds, to right or left • or unique position

Mohawk stop distribution # = word edge • Any natural classes? • [ɑ], [e], [o], [i], [s] • [l], #, [s], [w̥] • [ɑ], [i:], [o], [e], [h], [ɑ:], # • [ɑ], [e], [u:], [e:], [ɑ:]

Summarized contexts • [p t k] and [b d g] are in complementary distribution in Mohawk. • Notice: what precedes doesn’t matter

Writing a phonological rule • Which rule? • Mohawk has /p t k/ and Voicing rule (stops are voiced before vowels). or? • Mohawk has /b d g/ and Devoicing rule (stops are voiceless word finally or before a consonant).

Choose Voicing • Voicing simpler than Devoicing • Voicing: “...before vowels.” • Devoicing: “...word finally or before a consonant.”

Final analysis • In Mohawk, • Stops are voiced before vowels, and voiceless elsewhere. (sentence formulation of rule) • /p t k/  [b d g] / ___ V • (  [p t k] / …) • (‘arrow’ formulation of rule) … = elsewhere

Natural classes

Summary • Determining phonemes • Minimal pairs and near-minimal pairs • Complementary distribution of sounds • Keys to being able to do so • Understanding value of phonetic symbols • Recognizing natural classes

Question • Turn in a broad phonetic (or phonemic) transcription of your first and last names • Transcribe primary stress (if appropriate) • Transcribe [ə] and [ɾ], if either of your names contains these sounds

Phonology: More on allophones and phonemes