Phonology 2: Natural Classes and Phonological Rules

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Phonology 2: Natural classes

and phonological rules


Ling400
Natural class
• Natural class: A class of phonemes
characterized by the sharing of a given
feature or features; for example
– Vowels
– Consonants
– Voiced sounds
– Voiceless sounds
– Nasal sounds
– Stops
Finding Allophones

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" Use feature charts to recognize phones


and their distinctive features.

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Distinguishing Allophones

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# Assume that the necessary data is


furnished to know, for example, if in a
given language there are minimal pairs
to contrast two phonemes.

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Data

Pat [ p!æt ] pill [ p!"l ] tack [ t!æk ]


spat [ spæt ] spill [ sp"l ] pack [ p!æk ]
bat [ bæt ] bill [ b"l ] cap [ k!æp ]
gap [ #æp ]

cab [ k!æb ] kill [ k!"l ]


scab [ skæb ] skill [ sk"l ]
gab [ #æb ] gill [ #"l ]
Data

Pat [ p!æt ] pill [ p!"l ] tack [ t!æk ]


spat [ spæt ] spill [ sp"l ] pack [ p!æk ]
bat [ bæt ] bill [ b"l ] cap [ k!æp ]
gap [ # æ p ]

c ab [ k!æb ] kill [ k!"l ]


scab [ skæb ] skill [ sk"l ]
gab [ #æ b ] gill [ #"l ]
Distinguishing Allophones

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$ Decide if the data shows that two or more


phones in question occur in minimal
pairs; if yes, they represent separate
phonemes in that language.
Check in all environments for
added support.

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Minimal pairs
pat [ p!æt ] bat [ bæt ]
pill [ p!"l ] bill [ b"l ]
cab [ k!æb ] gab [ #æb ]
kill [ k!"l ] gill [ #"l ]
cap [ k!æp ] gap [ #æp ]
Therefore, / p /, / b / and / k /, / g / are phonemes.
Distinguishing Allophones

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% If the answer to #3 is no, decide if the


two phones are in complementary
distribution and if they are phonetically
similar. Describe the environment (what
precedes and what follows) for each
phone.

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p and p!
Pat [ p!æt ] pill [ p!"l ]
spat [ spæt ] spill [ sp"l ] pack [ p!æk ]
cap [ k!æp ]
gap [ # æ p ]

a) Is there evidence for minimal pairs? No.


Conclusion: p and p! are in
complementary distribution.
b) Are there many shared features?
c) Is there a systematic environment?
p and p!
Pat [ p!æt ] pill [ p!"l ]
spat [ spæt ] spill [ sp"l ] pack [ p!æk ]
cap [ k!æp ]
gap [ # æ p ]

b) Are there many shared features?


c) Is there a systematic environment?

Yes. Yes. Looks like


Distinguishing Allophones

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& Decide which is the more “basic” allophone


(not predictable or conditioned by
environment — the “elsewhere one”).

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Environment
Pat [ p!æt ] pill [ p!"l ]
spat [ spæt ] spill [ sp"l ] pack [ p!æk ]
cap [ k!æp ]
gap [ # æ p ]
[k] and [p] occur initially medially finally

[k!] and [p!] occur initially medially finally

Note: The same is true of [t!] and [t].


Distinguishing Allophones

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' This is the basic phoneme (underlying


form).
Describe the systematic relationship
between/among the allophones, writing
a rule to derive them from the basic
phoneme.

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Generalizations
• /p/ has (at least) two allphones: [p] [p!]. [p!]
occurs at the beginning of a word and [p]
occurs elsewhere.
• /t/ has (at least) two allphones: [t] [t!]. [t!]
occurs at the beginning of a word and …
• /k/ has (at least) two allphones: [k] [k!]. [k!]
occurs at the beginning of a word and …
Phonological rules
• Phonological rules
• Phonological processes
– apply when some conditions are satisfied
(usually specified in terms of environment)
– phonetically natural processes in most
cases (often sensitive to natural classes)
Formalization
• Formula:
• X can be rewritten Y in the environment
of this position (____), i.e. after A,
before B.

• X ( Y / A ____ B
Common processes
• Assimilation: changing a feature of a
phoneme when it is near another one so
that the two share a feature.
• Dissimilation: changing a feature of a
phoneme when it is near another
identical phoneme to make it more
“distinct” from its twin.
Common processes
• Metathesis (also in children’s speech)
• Insertion
• Deletion
• Strengthening
• Aspiration
• Flapping
Distinguishing Allophones
Rule:
In the present case voiceless stops aspirate
in initial position.
Here’s how to write the rule:
A stop is aspirated at the beginning of a
word.
Formally:
+ stop ( [+ aspir] / # ___
- voiced
Nasalized Vowels in English
bee [bi] bead [bid] lay [le"] bean [bin]
%$ n]
lace [le"s] lame [le"&% "m
& ] bad [bæd] ban# [bæ(
' ]
Vowels are nasalized before a nasal
consonant.

[+vowel] ! [+nasal] / __ +cons


+nasal
Why does nasalization occur?
• It is an assimilation process.
• Vowels are nasalized in anticipation of
the following nasal consonant.
• The velum is lowered slightly earlier
than required for the nasal consonant,
thereby nasalizing the preceding vowel.
Nasal(ized) vowels in Akan
• [ka] ‘bite’, [ka]% ‘speak’
• [fi] ‘come from’, [fi]% ‘dirty’
• [tu] ‘pull’, [tu]% ‘hole/den’
• [nsa] ‘hand’, [nsa]% ‘liquor’
) [t*ij] ‘hate’, [t*ij]% ‘squeeze’
• [pam] ‘sew’, [pam]
% m] ‘confederate’
Separate Phonemes?
• Yes. We can find minimal pairs
involving “regular” vowels and nasal
vowels in Akan.
• [a] and [a]% belong to separate phonemes
in Akan. Similarly for [i] and [i],
% ], [u] and
[u]% , and [ij] and [ij% ].
% ].

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