Post on 17-Dec-2015
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L103: Introduction to Linguistics
Phonetics—vowels
Last time ...
● Consonants
Today ...
● vowels● syllables
Vowel Articulation
• Manner = vowel• Glottal state = voiced (generally)• Place = ????• Make this sequence of vowels, and feel how your
tongue moves around in your mouth: i u e o a æ• Place for vowels requires us to locate our tongues
inside the oral cavity, even though it’s not touching anything…
Vowels
Vowel Space
Apex of Tongue
The VOWEL SPACE is
divided into a grid, based
on the position of the highest,
most front part of your tongue
as you pronounce that vowel
The Vowel Space
i
e
æ
Ʌ oɛ
ʊ
Ͻ
u
a
ɪ
The Vowel Space
i
e
æ
Ʌ o
ɪ
ɛ
ʊ
ɔ
u
a
(ROUND)
(LAX)
(TENSE)
(UNROUND)
Other sound properties - diphthongs
• Some vowels are made up of more than
one ‘part’
• For example, ‘buy’, ‘bough’, ‘boy’
• [baɪ], [baʊ], [boɪ]– or [baj], [baw], [bɔj]– or [bai], [bau], [boi]
• The term for these is ‘diphthong’
Diphthongs
i
e
æ
Ʌ o
ɪ
ɛ
ʊ
ɔ
u
a
bai
boi
baʊ
([w])([j])
A weird fact
i
e
æ
Ʌ o
ɪ
ɛ
ʊ
ɔ
u
a
ə
Other sound properties - length
• Finnish: [taka] ‘back’ [takka] ‘fireplace’ [ta:kka] ‘burden’
• [taka] ‘back’ vs [takka] ‘fireplace’– (the notation [kk] indicates a ‘long’ [k])– (‘long’ means, literally, longer – more milliseconds -
than a short sound)
• [takka] ‘fireplace’ vs. [ta:kka] ‘burden’– (the notation [a:] indicates a ‘long’ [a])– (some linguists write long vowels like this [aa] instead
of this [a:])
• Not all languages use length differences in their phonemic inventory
Syllables
• Arrangements of consonants and vowels
• Arrangements of things based on their acoustical energy (sonority)
• Vowels > Liquids > Nasals > Fricatives > Plosives/Stops (Sonority Hierarchy)
Parts of a syllable
[d a g] “dog”
SYLLABLE
RIME/Rhyme
ONSET NUCLEUS CODA
C V C
The “NUCLEUS” can also be called the “PEAK”
Ideal Sonority contour
|||||||||||||||||||||||
SYLLABLE
RIME
ONSET NUCLEUS CODA
C V C
How many syllables?
• Cow [kaʊ]• Easy. 1. CVV• Cowboy [kaʊboɪ]• Still easy. 2. [kaʊ.boɪ]CVV.CVV• Cowabunga [kaʊəbʌŋgə]• Easy to count (tap it out)• 4. But - harder to parse!• [kaʊ.ə.bʌŋ.gə] or [ka.wə.bʌŋ.gə]?• CVV.V.CVC.CV or CV.CV.CVC.CV
Syllable Restrictions● Every naturally occurring human language (we
think) allows this kind of syllable: CV● Only some languages allow syllables to begin
with vowels (=onsetless syllables)● Only some languages allow syllables to end with
consonants (=closed syllables)● Some co-occurrence restrictions:
– If you allow CVC and V, you’ll also allow VC– If you allow CVCC, you’ll also allow CVC– If you allow CCCV, you’ll also allow CCV
Syllable restrictions
• Hawaiian: the only kind of syllable is CV– Therefore, all words will begin with a consonant, AND– All words will end with a vowel, AND– There will never be more than 2 consonants in a row
inside of a word
• English: In addition to CV, we allow onsetless syllables [aj], and closed syllables [dag].– We also allow consonant clusters in onset and coda
The Maximal English Syllable?
● strengths [strɛŋkɵs]● CCCVCCCC● If CCCV, the first consonant is an [s], and
the third is a liquid or glide [r, l, w, j]● [splɪts], [skwɪʃ], [skju]● If VCCCC, the last consonant is an [s] or a
[t], and it’s an affix (plural or past tense)● [siksɵt] ‘I sixthed it’
Next time...