deducing allophonic rules part 2 - umass...

DeducingAllophonic Rules

Part 2

SupplementaryReadings

Introduction andReview

Fricatives inGerman

Fricatives inSouthern Congo

Deducing Allophonic RulesPart 2


Part 2



Fricatives inGerman


Supplementary Readings

The following readings have been posted to the Moodlecourse site:

I Contemporary Linguistics: Chapter 3 (pp. 70-77,84-86)

I Language Files: Chapter 3.5 (pp. 127-133)

The following reading (on Moodle) isn’t essential, but youmight find it helpful:

I Language Instinct: Chapter 6 (153-189)


Part 2



Fricatives inGerman


A Core Fact of Human Language

Fact of Central Interest:Languages can differ over whether two phones are allophonesof the same phoneme.

Example 1:

I In English, [t] / [th] are allophones of the same phoneme (/t/).

I In Thai, [t] / [th] are allophones of different phonemes.

Example 2:

I In English, long vowels (V:) and short vowels (V) are allophonesof the same phoneme (short vowel).

I In Kikuyu, a long vowels (V:) and a short vowels (V) areallophones of different phonemes.


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Fricatives inGerman


Solving the Analytic ProblemThe Question This Raises:How do you tell whether [X] and [Y] are allophones of thesame phoneme?

First Main Sub-Task:Determine if there are minimal pairs for [X] and [Y].

I If there are, STOP!I [X] and [Y] are allophones of different phonemes.

I If there aren’t, move on to Second Main Sub-Task.

Second Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [X] and [Y] from thesame phoneme.


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Fricatives inGerman


Solving the Analytic ProblemSubsequent Question:But, how do we determine whether such a rule exists?

The Overarching Logic:We want to determine which of the following is true:

1. There’s a rule that requires /X/ to be pronounced as [Y] insome environment Z.

2. There’s a rule which requires /Y/ to be pronounced as [X]in some environment Z.

If (1) is true, then...I There should be an environment Z where we only find [Y]

(never [X])

If (2) is true, then...I There should be an environment Z where we only find [X]

(never [Y])


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Fricatives inGerman


Solving the Analytic ProblemSubsequent Question:But, how do we determine whether such a rule exists?

The Overarching Logic:So, we now want to determine which of these is true:

1. There is an environment Z where we only find [Y] (andnever [X])

2. There is an environment Z where we only find [X] (andnever [Y])

Figuring this out can be broken down into fourmanageable steps...


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Fricatives inGerman


Solving the Analytic ProblemSecond Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [X] and [Y] from thesame phoneme.

I Step 1:Determine the environments of [X] and [Y].

I Step 2:For each environment, look for similarities between the sounds.

I Step 3:See if any environments are unique to [X] or [Y].

I Step 4:If there’s an environment unique to [X] or [Y], write the rulederiving that allophone in that environment.


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Fricatives inGerman


Solving the Analytic ProblemSecond Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [X] and [Y] from thesame phoneme.

Rule of Thumb for Writing Rules:If there are two allophones [X] and [Y], and only [X] appears inenvironment Z, the rule is: “/Y/ is pronounced as [X] in Z”

Notation for Writing Rules

I / X / → [ Y ] / A“/X/ is pronounced as [Y] when preceding A”.

I / X / → [ Y ] / A“/X/ is pronounced as [Y] when following A”.

I / X / → [ Y ] / A B“/X/ is pronounced as [Y] when following A and preceding B.”


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Fricatives inGermanTask 1: Minimal Pairs

Task 2: Find the Rule

Step 1: Environments

Step 2: Commonalities?

Step 3: Uniqueness?

Step 4: Write the Rule


Fricatives in GermanKey Fact:German has two fricative phones that don’t exist inEnglish.

I [ç] : voiceless oral palatal fricativeI [x] : voiceless oral velar fricative

Some Illustrative Words:[bux] ‘book’ [kux@n] ‘cake’[mIç] ‘me’ [mIlç] ‘milk’[kox@n] ‘to cook’ [feç@r] ‘fan’[bAx] ‘brook’ [nAxt] ‘night’[medç@n] ‘girl’ [çemi] ‘chemist’

Question:In German, are [x] and [ç] allophones of the same phoneme?


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



First Main Sub-Task: Minimal PairsKey Fact:German has two fricative phones that don’t exist inEnglish.



First Main Sub-TaskDetermine if there are minimal pairs for [x] and [ç].


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



First Main Sub-Task: Minimal PairsKey Fact:German has two fricative phones that don’t exist inEnglish.



Result:I There are no minimal pairs for [x] and [ç].I So, on to Second Main Sub-Task...


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Second Main Sub-Task: Find the RuleDistribution of [x] and [ç] in German:

[bux] ‘book’ [kux@n] ‘cake’[mIç] ‘me’ [mIlç] ‘milk’[kox@n] ‘to cook’ [feç@r] ‘fan’[bAx] ‘brook’ [nAxt] ‘night’[medç@n] ‘girl’ [çemi] ‘chemist’

Second Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [x] and [ç] from the samephoneme.

I Step 1: Determine the environments of [x] and [ç].

I Step 2:Look for similarities between the sounds in each environment.

I Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .

I Step 4:If there’s an environment unique to one phone, write out the rule.


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Step 1: Get the EnvironmentsDistribution of [x] and [ç] in German:


Step 1: Determine the environments of [x] and [ç].

I The phones that precede [x]: [u] [o] [A]

I The phones that follow [x]: # [@] [t]

I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l] [e] #

I The phones that follow [ç]: # [@] [e]


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Step 3: Uniqueness?






I The phones that precede [x]:

[u] [o] [A]





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Step 3: Uniqueness?






I The phones that precede [x]: [u]

[o] [A]





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Step 3: Uniqueness?






I The phones that precede [x]: [u] [o]

[A]





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Step 3: Uniqueness?











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Step 3: Uniqueness?







I The phones that follow [x]:

# [@] [t]




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Step 3: Uniqueness?







I The phones that follow [x]: #

[@] [t]




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Step 3: Uniqueness?







I The phones that follow [x]: # [@]

[t]




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Step 3: Uniqueness?











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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]:

[I] [d] [l] [e] #



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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]: [I]

[d] [l] [e] #



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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d]

[l] [e] #



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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l]

[e] #



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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l] [e]

#



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Step 3: Uniqueness?











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Step 3: Uniqueness?









I The phones that follow [ç]:

# [@] [e]


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Step 3: Uniqueness?









I The phones that follow [ç]: #

[@] [e]


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Step 3: Uniqueness?









I The phones that follow [ç]: # [@]

[e]


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Step 3: Uniqueness?











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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Step 2: Find Commonalities in the SoundsDistribution of [x] and [ç] in German:


Step 2:Look for similarities between the sounds in each environment.






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Step 3: Uniqueness?






I The phones that precede [x]: [u] [o] [A]All Back Vowels!





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Step 3: Uniqueness?







I The phones that follow [x]: # [@] [t]Nothing in Common




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Step 3: Uniqueness?








I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l] [e] #Nothing in Common



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Step 3: Uniqueness?









I The phones that follow [ç]: # [@] [e]Nothing in Common


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Step 3: See if an Environment is UniqueDistribution of [x] and [ç] in German:


Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .






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Step 3: Uniqueness?





Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .(Look at the environ’s where the phones share a feature in common.)






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Step 3: Uniqueness?





Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .(Look at the corresponding environ. for the other phone.)



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Step 3: Uniqueness?





Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .(See if the feature shared in [x]’s environ. can be found in [ç]’s)




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Step 3: Uniqueness?





Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [x] or [ç] .(See if the feature shared in [x]’s environ. can be found in [ç]’s)


I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l] [e] #No Back Vowels!

Only [x] is preceded by back vowels!


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Step 4: Write the Rule!Distribution of [x] and [ç] in German:


Step 4:If there’s an environ. unique to one allophone, write the rule!


I The phones that precede [ç]: [I] [d] [l] [e] #No Back Vowels!



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Step 3: Uniqueness?







Rule of Thumb (for Writing Rules):If there are two allophones [X] and [Y], and only [X] appears inenvironment Z, the rule is: “/Y/ is pronounced as [X] in Z”

The Rule:/ç/ is pronounced as [x] when preceded by a back vowel


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Step 3: Uniqueness?








The Rule In Formal Notation:

/ç/ → [x] / Back-V(“/ç/ is pronounced as [x] when following a back vowel”)


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Step 3: Uniqueness?



Summing Up

Question:In German, are [x] and [ç] allophones of the same phoneme?

Answer:Yes. They are allophones of the same phoneme (/ç/)

I The Rule:/ç/ → [x] / Back-V


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Fricatives inGerman

Fricatives inSouthern CongoTask 1: Minimal Pairs




Step 3: Uniqueness?


Fricatives in Southern CongoIn ‘Southern Congo’, there are four fricatives found in English:

I [s] : voiceless oral alveolar fricative

I [z] : voiced oral alveolar fricative

I [S] : voiceless oral alveopalatal fricative

I [Z] : voiced oral alveopalatal fricative

Some Illustrative Words:[Zima] ‘stretch’ [SioTe] ‘all’[kasu] ‘emaciation’ [nselele] ‘termite’[kunezulu] ‘heaven’ [aZimola] ‘alms’[nzwetu] ‘our’ [lolonZi] ‘to wash’[kesoka] ’to be cut’ [NkoSi] ‘lion’[zevo] ‘then’ [zeNga] ‘cut’

Questions:

I Are [s] and [S] allophones of the same phoneme?

I Are [z] and [Z] allophones of the same phoneme?


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?


First Main Sub-Task: Minimal PairsSome Illustrative Words:

[Zima] ‘stretch’ [SioTe] ‘all’[kasu] ‘emaciation’ [nselele] ‘termite’[kunezulu] ‘heaven’ [aZimola] ‘alms’[nzwetu] ‘our’ [lolonZi] ‘to wash’[kesoka] ’to be cut’ [NkoSi] ‘lion’[zevo] ‘then’ [zeNga] ‘cut’

First Main Sub-Task:I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [s] and [S].I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [z] and [Z].


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?




First Main Sub-Task:I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [s] and [S].

I Result: There are none.I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [z] and [Z].


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?




First Main Sub-Task:I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [s] and [S].

I Result: There are none.I Determine if there are minimal pairs for [z] and [Z].

I Result: There are none.

So, on to Second Main Sub-Task:...


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?


Second Main Sub-Task: Find the RuleSome Illustrative Words:


Second Main Sub-Task:I Determine if there is a rule deriving [s] and [S] from the same

phoneme.I Determine if there is a rule deriving [z] and [Z] from the same

phoneme.

Let’s now do each one at a time...


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?




Second Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [s] and [S] from the samephoneme.

I Step 1: Determine the environments of [s] and [S].


I Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [s] or [S] .



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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?




Second Main Sub-Task:Determine if there is a rule deriving [z] and [Z] from the samephoneme.

I Step 1: Determine the environments of [z] and [Z].


I Step 3: See if any environments are unique to [z] or [Z] .



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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?


Step 1: Get the EnvironmentsSome Illustrative Words:


Step 1: Determine the environments of [s] and [S].

I The phones that precede [s]: [a] [e] [n]

I The phones that follow [s]: [u] [o] [e]

I The phones that precede [S]: # [o]

I The phones that follow [S]: [i]


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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?





I The phones that precede [s]:

[a] [e] [n]





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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?





I The phones that precede [s]: [a]

[e] [n]





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Fricatives inGerman





Step 3: Uniqueness?





I The phones that precede [s]: [a] [e]

[n]


