LINA02H3 : Chapter 8.docx
Document Summary
Mutual intelligibility determines whether it is a different dialect of one language or two different languages: dialect of the same language: e. g. american english, british english two different languages: e. g. chinese cantonese vs. mandarin. Most languages have less than 10 000 speakers, many are at the risk of extinction 60% Latin evolved into french, spanish, italian, etc. (romance language) total of 6909 languages most in asia. A language is lost every 14 days. Markedness theory: marked traits are considered to be more complex than unmarked characteristics. Oral > nasal short vowels > long vowels. Vowel systems size and pattern [3-9 phonemes; >,< = rare] Most commonly occurring is /a/ front vowel phonemes unrounded non-low back vowel phonemes rounded consonant systems. At least one liquid voiced obstruents (stops, fricatives or affricates) will have corresponding voiceless obstruents sonorant consonants = voiced fricative phonemes must have stop phonemes.
