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Core Lecture Linguistics. Approaches to the word Summer Term 2004 http://www.univie.ac.at/Anglistik/core2. A word?. tree. Ceci n‘est pas un mot. brilliant. [ æ l]. [ æk l]. [ ækt l]. [ ækt l]. [ ækt l]. [ ækt l]. [ ækt jl]. / ækt l/.
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Core Lecture Linguistics Approaches to the word Summer Term 2004 http://www.univie.ac.at/Anglistik/core2
A word? tree Ceci n‘est pas un mot.
[æl] [ækl] [æktl] [æktl] [æktl] [æktl] [æktjl] /æktl/
John FromBoston Jean de Paris Super leg! Touch mine!???? Great Legacy! Sixteen Bears!???? GRAND LEG SEIZE OURS
Classifying English vowels on textual/behavioural grounds line – linearserene – serenity explain – explanatory abundant – aboundverbosity – verbose Front Back /aI/– /I/ /i:/ - /e/ /eI/– /æ/ //– /a/ // - //
[pi:z] [pi:s] /s/ : /z/ [twəzaivn] It was Ivan [twəstm] It was Tom /wz/
i[n] Austria i[m] Poland i[ŋ] Kenya {in}
[phit] pit [phwt] pot [phwp] pop [phwt] port [p, phw ,ph , p] /p/ [phit] pit [phit] [ph] [t, , t] /t/ [khk] kick [kh ,k] /k/ fool [fu :] [fuw] [ful] /ful/ [sn] /n/ [s] // [n] /n/ [ntlrnt] /n/ [ikmptnt] /n/ [k] /nk/, /k/? What phoneme?
The mind as a computer (1) • Linguistic competence is a mental tool for translating meaning into sound and vice versa. (if you know what you want to say, your ‚competence‘ will compute a text automatically) • Problem: meaning is extremely difficult to define, to describe or even to measure in non-subjective terms
The mind as a computer (2) • Human memory is limited • Humans are creative when they speak and can deal with novelty • Humans can always distinguish utterances that are in their language from such that are not. • Assumption: language is like a logical production system
Logical Production Systems (Components) • Produce symbol strings (Theorems) • Contain: (a) Axioms (b) Production rules Axioms: #, & Production Rules: # ##### & Theorems: #, &, ###, #&, &#, ... No Theorems: *##, *&&,*##&
intended meaning interpretor/translator syntactic generator mental dictionary form x / meaning a form y / meaning b .... pronouncation/reception component articulators/ears utterance / text
S NP VP VGp NP V Aux Det N Det N Tns Past S NP VP VP VGp NP VGp V Aux NP (Det) N Aux Tns Tns Past The people enjoy ed the show.
The Generative Assumption: lexicon entries = axioms surface strings = theorems What is the best production system?Hypothetical answer: The most economical one! Types of Phonological Rules A B / X Y /fu:l/ [fu:]l / # [stop] [+aspirated] / V
A classical solution Problem: circular and ad-hoc !!!
Lexical Phonology II home home+less home+less+ness tone ton+ic ton+ic+ity tone ton+ic ton+ic+nesshome home+less homelessity
Lexical Phonology III Strict Cyclicity Effect:Structure-changing cyclic rules apply in derived environments only (where a ‘derived environment’ is an environment created by either a morphological rule or a phonological rule on the same cycle). Elsewhere Condition:Rules A, B apply disjunctively to a form iff: (i) SDA is a proper subset of SDB; and (ii) SCA is distinct from SCB. In that case Rule A, applying first, blocks rule B.
Natural Phonology II Evidence: • Language acquisition • Language loss • Pidginisation • Language Change • Language variation • Frequency • Implicational hierarchies
Natural Phonology III Processes (automatic, innate) i[m] Poland Rules (have to be learnt) serenity General assumption: phonology serves the purpose ofmaking language pronounceable and perceivable. Processes and rules are signs,and can work better or not so well.
Iconicity Icons Indexes Symbols Images Diagrams + - communicative/cognitive function - + expression of social identity
l n m l n m Bi-Uniqueness
Pressures on the phonological sign Perceptual: Ease of perception Articulatory: Principle of least effort [x] /y/ Semiotic Iconicity / Prominence / Bi-uniqueness
Phonological Process Types FortitionsForegrounding Strengthening Lenition Backgrounding Weakening Parameters Prosodic Position, Style, Speed, Register, Class, Social Setting External Evidence Language Change, Language Acquisition, Language Loss
Consonantal Strength Stops – Fricatives – Nasals – Liquids – Glides Vocalic ‘Strength’ Colour I U Sonority A
Classifying Phonological Processes • /mlk/ [mk] • [f] vs. [fl] • /fand/ [fan] • /bd/ [bd] • /si/ [si] • /tald/ vs. /tldrn/ • /srin/ vs. /srent/ • /ms j/ [mj]
The morphological sign /set/ Morphotactic level /d/ /ple/ Morphosemantic level {play} {past} {set} {past} BETTER WORSE
sight – sighted play – played keep – kept sing - sang put – put read - read BEST WORST
Peter regretted Harriet‘s early departure. Peter regretted the fact that Harriet had departed early. Peter regretted that Harriet had departed early. Peter regretted Harriet having departed early. Peter regretted Harriet’s having departed early. Peter regretted Harriet’s departing early.
heart-breaking (O P-ing) grief home made (AdP P-ed) soup predidential (O) adviser presidential (S) refusal industrial (AdP) worker criminal (pO) lawyer marginal (AdP) note
John eats an apple The apple is for eating The apple which is for eating apple for eating eating apple
morphosemantic transparency carri+age marri+age orphan+age cour+age serene seren+ity seren+ade