LING2002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Syllable Weight, Epenthesis, Diphthong
Monday, 22 May 2017
LECTURE 23
SYLLABLE 2
-Phonotactics
•Phonotactics is the distribution of sounds or sequences of sounds in words, for example:
-English /ŋ/ occurs
•Not word initially (*#ŋ…)
•Medially (‘hang.er’)
•Word finally (‘sing’)
•Following the recurring unit logic,
-If a segment can occur only at the end and in the middle of words, we take it to be in the coda
(end) of syllables: ABC.ABC
•So /ŋ/ occurs in the coda of syllables in English
-So /hæŋ.ɪŋ/ ‘hanging'
•The same can apply to sequences of Cs
-Ex/ English /stɹ/ occurs
•Word initially: ‘strain’
•Medially: ‘constrain’
•Not word finally: ‘…str#’
•Following the recurring unit logic:
-If a segment or sequence of Cs can occur at the beginning and in the middle of words, we take it
to be in the onset of syllables: ABC.ABC
•So /stɹ/ occurs only in onset of syllables in English
-Ex/ con.strain
•Note: a sequence of Cs doesn’t necessarily have to be all n the onset or the coda: CVC.CVC
-Syllables allow for greater simplicity of rules
•Simplicity of rules tends to reveal the basic nature of processes
•Example: English glottalisation of voiceless stops in certain contexts:
•Word final: [ɹætʔ] ‘rat’
•Word medial preceding certain consonants: [ætʔləs] ‘atlas'
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Document Summary
Phonotactics: phonotactics is the distribution of sounds or sequences of sounds in words, for example: English / / occurs: not word initially (*# , medially ( hang. er", word nally ( sing", following the recurring unit logic, If a segment can occur only at the end and in the middle of words, we take it to be in the coda (end) of syllables: abc. abc: so / / occurs in the coda of syllables in english. So /h . / hanging: the same can apply to sequences of cs. Ex/ english /st / occurs: word initially: strain", medially: constrain", not word nally: str#", following the recurring unit logic: Ex/ con. strain: note: a sequence of cs doesn"t necessarily have to be all n the onset or the coda: cvc. cvc. Simpler account in terms of syllable structure: first work out the syllable structure of the words:
