Linguistics 105 * Words and Sounds

Lecture Number Six-b

Types of Phonological Change

 

1. Assimilation
   Assimilation is the copying of a feature from one segment to another in such a way as to make the copying segment more like the copied one.

   Nasal Assimilation

   /bÀn/ ¡	[bÀn]
   /bÀnk/ ¡	[bÀük] ¡	[bÀ‚ük]
   /rønk/ ¡	[røük] ¡	[rø‚ük]

   Assimilation to Place of Articulation

   /wød-Ê/ ¡ [wøt…Ê]
   /hajt-Ê/ ¡ [hajt…Ê]

   Voicing
   Voicing is the addition of voicing ([-Voiced] ¡ {+voiced]) to a consonant, usually because of surrounding vowels or an adjacent vowel or sonorant.

   Dutch	Phonemic	Allphonic	Gloss
   afkomen	/afkomÏ/	[afkomÏ]	come down
   aftrekken	/aftrekÏ/	[aftrekÏ]	deduct
   afbelen	/afbelÏ/	[avbelÏ]	ring off
   afdekken	/afdekÏ/	[avdekÏ]	cover over

   Devoicing
   Devoicing is the loss of voicing (voicedness) usually caused by a voiceless contiguous consonant or word-final position.

   English (/l/ after voiceless consonants)

   /pliz/ ¡ [pl€iz]
   /kløk/ ¡ [kl€øk]
   /sliz/ ¡ [sl€iz]

   German (at the end of words)

   /hund/ ¡ [hunt] Hund 'dog'
   /mag/ ¡ [mak] mag 'like'
   /rand/ ¡ [rant] Rand 'rim'
   

2. Dissimilation
   Sometimes a segment is made dissimilar to a contiguous segment because the language does not like identical or similar sounds next to each other.

   English dialect:
   chimley
   /føfÊ/ ¡ [føft]

3. Deletion

   Syncope
   Syncope is the deletion of an unaccented vowel or reduced consonant from the middle of a word.

   US English: schwa after [r] (if preceded by a consonant)
   /bÏliv/ ¡ [bliv] believe
   /sÏpoz/ ¡ [spoz] suppose
   /mÏlan/ ¡ [mlan] Milan
   /srê‚ndr/ ¡ [srê‚ndr] surrender
   /pÏlis/ ¡ [plis] police
   /pÏred/ ¡ [pred] parade

   If preceded by a vowel, the vowel is deleted:
   veteran : Northeast [vêtrÏn], Southwest [vêÊtrn]
   different: Northeast [døfrÏnt], Southwest [døfrnt]
   ignorant: Northeast [øgnrÏnt], Southwest [øgnrnt]

   US English: [t] after [n]
   /øntÏrÏpt/ ¡ [ønÏrÏpt]
   /øntÏrÀkt/ ¡ [ønÏrÀk]
   /øntÏrfir/ ¡ [ønÏrfir]
   Unless followed by an /s/:
   /prønts/ ¡ [prønts]

   Other examples:
   British: /mêdÏsøn/ ¡ [mêdsøn]
   laboratory: /lÀborÏtori/ ¡ [lÀborÏt|ri] (British) : US [lÀbrÏtori]
   secretary: [sêkrÏtêri] ¡ [sêkrêt|ri]

   Apocope
   Apocope is the deletion of an unaccented vowel at the end of a word.

   French
   longe 'long' [l³ü] (from [l³üÏ])
   verte 'green' [vert] (from [vertÏ)
   haute 'high' [ot] (from [otÏ])

4. Epenthesis
   Epenthesis is the insertion of a vowel, usually between consonants that are not allowed to stand together by the phonotactic rules, rules which determine the possible sequences of sounds in a language.

   English borrowings in Japanese
   strike : [suturaiku]
   club : [kurabu]
   necktie : nekutai

5. Metathesis
   Metathesis is the switching of positions of two adjacent segments. Liquid metathesis is probably the most common form. It involves the exchange of places of a liquid and a following or preceding vowel.

   English
   /Àsk/ ¡ [Àks]

   Liquid Metathesis (Historical evidence)
   English gard-en : Old Slavic grad 'city'
   German Berg 'mountain' : Old Slavic breg (bank, shore)
   cold [kold] : Old Slavic xlad 'cold'

6. Haplology
   Haplology is the deletion of a segment or syllable that is identical or similar to an adjacent syllable or segment in that syllable.

   English
   /prabÏblø/ ¡ [prablø]
   library: /lajbrêri/ ¡ [lajbrêri] British : US [lajbêri] February: /fêbjÏwerø] (US) : [fêbrÏri] (British)

7. Raising (Lowering)
   Vowels may be lowered one level or raised one level as a result of neighboring vowels (or historical change).

   'Canadian' Raising: diphthongs go to schwa before voiceless consonants
   /bajk/ ¡ [bÏjk]
   /lajt/ ¡ [lÏjt]
   /kajt/ ¡ [kÏjt

   In Canada and Norfolk, Virginia
   /haws/ ¡ [hÏws]
   /awt/ ¡ [Ïwt]
   /maws/ ¡ [mÏws]

   US English (Brooklyn, etc.)
   /sÀt/ ¡ [sêt]
   /bÀd/ ¡ [bêd]
   /rÀt/ ¡ [rêt]

   New Zealand English
   /bêd/ ¡ [bød]
   /sêd/ ¡ [sød]
   /lêt/ ¡ [løt]

8. Unrounding
   Vowels may be rounded or unrounded by synchronic or diachronic phonological rules.

   US English (New England, etc.)
   /wØk/ ¡ [wak]
   /kØf/ ¡ [kaf]
   /bØt/ ¡ [bat]
   /dØg/ ¡ [dag]

9. Diphthongization

   /wØk/ ¡ [wawk]
   /kØf/ ¡ [kawf]
   /bØt/ ¡ [bawt]
   /dØg/ ¡ [dawg]

10. Palatalization Palatalization is the movement of the place of articulation toward the palate either from the alveolar ridge or from the velum. This process is usually triggered by a following jod [j] or front vowel [i], [e].
    1. English palatalization before [j]:
       
       • Did you : [dø”Ï]
       • hit you : [hø“Ï]
       • [pøktjur] ¡ [pøk“r]
    2. Italian
       • adagio [ada”o]
       • (buon) giorno [”orno]
       • gelato [”êlato]
       • Boccaccio [boka“o]
       • but caro [karo], cosa [kosa], gamba [gamba]