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Home , Assimilation (phonology), Elision

Dwi Nita Febriyanti

Assimilation, Reduction and Reflected in the Selected Song Lyrics of Avenged Sevenfold

Dwi Nita Febriyanti [email protected] English Language Studies, Sanata Dharma University

Abstract

This paper discusses the phenomena of phonological rules, especially , reduction and elision processes. In this paper, the writer conducted phonological study which attempts to find the phenomena of those processes in song lyrics. In taking the data, the writer transcribed the lyrics of the songs, along with checking them to the internet source, then observed the lyrics to find the phenomena of assimilation, reduction, and elision. After that, she classified the observed phenomena in the lyrics based on the phonological processes. From the data analysis, the results showed that there were three processes found both in the first and second songs: assimilation, reduction and elision. The difference is that in the first song, it has four kinds of assimilation, while from the second song only has three kinds of assimilation.

Keywords: assimilation, reduction, elision

Introduction brothers and sisters’ discussion or even in songs, for which songs are considered as the As English spoken by the native media for the composer to share his feelings. speakers, it sometimes undergoes simplification to ease the native speakers in Assimilation usually happens in the expressing their feelings. That is why, it is double . This is a phenomenon common for them to speak English in high which shows the influence of one sound to speed along with their emotions. As the another to become more similar. While for result, they make a ‘shortcut’ to get ease of the reduction process, it can happen to the their pronunciation. The native speakers which is in the unstressed position. often do some ‘improvement’ in their speech Reduction is the substitution of a vowel to to reach maximum transfer of messages with the unstressed position with a weak central minimum efforts of articulation. vowel (called /ə/). Van Bergem (1995) describes the schwa as a vowel Sometimes they pronounce a sound to without target so that it is completely become similar to either preceding or assimilated with its phonemic context. following sound to keep the speed of their speech; or linguists call it as assimilation Meanwhile, elision (also deletion) is the process. They also reduce even delete a complete disappearance of one or more vowel or a in the unstressed sounds in a word or phrase as an attempt to position as an attempt to fasten their make a word or phrase easier to pronounce. pronunciation in their daily speech, and it is One of the most common in English known as reduction and deletion (also is the omission of /t/ and /d/ when those elision) process. All these phenomena sounds are at the boundary of words. mostly happen in the informal speeches such is sometimes used as the as in an intimate talk of best-friends, indicator of elision. In this paper, the writer

14 Vol. 15 No. 1 – April 2015 tries to recognize the phenomena of speaker talks, less articulatory efforts (anticipatory) assimilation, he/she does (214-215). and consonant elision reflected in Avenged Sevenfold’s song lyrics. Therefore, in this Reduction study, the writer tries to find the phenomena of assimilation, reduction, and elision in the Reduction is a process in which selected songs of Avenged Sevenfold Band. speakers reduce the ‘presence’ of a , especially a phoneme in the (Anticipatory) Assimilation unstressed position, while vowel reduction is a feature of stress timing referring to the This is a process which speakers make a way are reduced when unstressed. In ‘transition’ in anticipating the following reducing a vowel, speakers can either pronunciation. The ‘transition’ here happens weaken or substitute the pronunciation with because of the influence of preceding sound. another sound. It is line with Griffen (1998) That is why, this kind of ‘transition’ is called who defines a vowel reduction as “a anticipatory assimilation. It is supported by phenomenon in which the vowel in an Giegerich (1992) who defines that accented is shifted toward the mid- (anticipatory) assimilation is a common central position when the accent is removed phenomenon for which a either from the syllable (17).” In reducing a fully or partially anticipates the place of phoneme, the speakers take less articulatory articulation over the following segment effort to get ease of pronunciation in speech, (213). He also points out the characteristics for instance: the central vowel in word ‘and’ of anticipatory assimilation as follows. /ænd/ becomes /ən/ [/æ/ə/] because it is in the unstressed syllable. It is line with 1. /n//ņ/ whenever /n/ comes before Giegerich (1992) who argues that most of dental (/t/, /ð/ and /ɵ/), therefore it is English vowels are suspended in the called as dentalization. unstressed (285). 2. /k/ /k/ happens when /k/ precedes front vowels (/i:/, /e/ and /a/) and it is Van Bergem (1995) also defines a schwa known as . as a ‘straight’ articulatory path between two 3. /m/ /ɱ/ whenever /m/ comes before consonants. Since a path always depends labiodental (/f/, /v/); it is known as upon the surrounding environment, a schwa labiodental nasal. cannot exist as a separate phoneme, but only 4. /a/ /ã/ happens when /a/ precedes as a phonemic which a syllable embed. the nasal sounds (/m/, /n/ and /ŋ/) and Furthermore, he also proposes several core the process is called . factors of vowel reduction such as stress, 5. /k/ /k/ whenever /k/ comes before frequency of word’s occurrence and rounded segment such as in words speaking style. Giegerich (1992) mentions ‘queer’, ‘question’, ‘quack’, ‘quick’ and some examples of vowel reduction or schwa ‘cool’. This process is known as /ə/ such as in these words: canoe /kə’nu/, or rounding. balloon /bə’lun/, federal /’fɛdərəl/, catalyst /’katəlɪst/ and botany /’bɒtənɪ/ (287). Besides the requirements above, Giegerich (1992) also mentions three other Elision conditions when assimilation can happen in an individual speech: (1) the individual Elision process happens when speakers speaker’s habits in which a speaker has leave or delete a phoneme out of his/her own style and characteristics in pronunciation as an attempt to fasten and speech, (2) the type of speech as well the get rid of difficulties in speech. According to rapid and informal speech appears greater Giegerich (1992), elision often happens assimilation than the slow and formal before sonorant consonants which give the speech does, and (3) tempo for which it consonants an opportunity to be syllabic so indicates the speed of speech. The faster a that they will occupy the peak of the syllable. The process is called vowel elision, for

15 Dwi Nita Febriyanti examples are button /bʌtən/ or /bʌtn/ and To find out the phonological processes little /lɪtəl/ or /lɪtl/ (287). in the lyrics, the writer applied some steps. The writer observed the lyrics of the songs The most common elision in English carefully in order to find the phenomena of words is the omission of sounds /t/ and /d/ phonological processes of them. She at the word boundary: they are positioned at observed the words that carried the end of a word before go to the next word. phenomena. After observing the words that Elision is also known as the complete contain the phonological processes, she dropping of a sound in a given context. If it recognized the kind of processes that the has consonants as the target, then people words have. After that, the writer classified know it as consonant elision. For instance is them to ease the reader in comprehending the elision of sound /t/ in the word postman the results and providing the examples of /poʊstmən/ /poʊsmən/ because of the each process. speed of speaker. In the case of /t/, the preceding consonant must be voiceless; in Discussion the case of /d/, the preceding consonant (Anticipatory) Assimilation must be voiced. In both cases, elision happens with any following consonant, Assimilation mostly appeared in except /h/ and sometimes /j/, e.g. Christmas Avenged Sevenfold’s song lyrics. It is not only /’krɪsməs/, listen /lɪsən/, sandwich: because of the amount of (anticipatory) /sænwiʧ/, kindness: /kaɪnes/, left foot assimilation types, but also because the /lefʊ:t/, but it doesn’t happen in left hand singer’s style in speech. Here are the cases of /left hænd/; left you: /lefʧʊ/, old man: /oʊld anticipatory assimilation reflected in mæn/. Avenged Sevenfold’s song lyrics.

Research Methodology No Song Title Occurrences 15 times of Assimilation; 6 times of Reduction; 6 This study will focus on assimilation, 1. Gunslinger reduction and elision in Avenged Sevenfold’s times of Elision; 4 times song lyrics. This study belongs to qualitative of double processes. research because it uses words as the source 14 times of Assimilation; Second 6 times of Reduction; 7 of data. More, it does not contain any 2. statistical process. It is line with Moelong Heartbeat times of Elision; 2 times of double processes. (1989) who states, “Qualitative research is a type of research, which does not include any calculation and numbering (2).” Therefore, Nasalization hopefully this study can give further information toward those phenomena and This type of assimilation happens when a can help the readers to understand them vowel comes before nasal sounds /m/ /n/ or easily. /ŋ/. The writer determined the nasalization process by making the letters in bold The source of data is the song lyrics of feature. Here are the examples of Gunslinger and Second Heartbeat. To make nasalization taken from the Gunslinger and the data sure, the writer checked the lyrics Second Heartbeat lyrics: to the internet sources. Those sources of data above are relevant to the data which (1) been; alone; been; gone; long; many; the writer needed. She also used those things; when; strong; bring sources to check the validity of the data. The (2) changing; in; stand; alone; been; steps to analyze the data were: listening to gone; wishing; wasting; growing the songs, understanding the general content of the songs, transcribing the lyrics Those examples above belong to the of the songs, and checking the lyrics with the nasalization process since the vowels are internet source. going to meet nasal sounds as the following sound. The vowels in those words are

16 Vol. 15 No. 1 – April 2015 pronounced like a nasal sound which the Fronting airstream comes out through the nose. From the lyrics, the writer also only Dentalization found one case which belongs to the fronting process. The writer wrote the letter which It is the process when the sound /n/ undergoes the fronting process in bold. Here meets a dental sound such as /t/, /ð/ or /ɵ/. is the example of fronting process taken From the lyrics, the writer found three cases from Gunslinger and Second Heartbeat lyrics: which belong to this process. The writer identified the dentalization process in the (6) keep bold letter. Here are some cases of dentalization inside the lyrics: In the example above, the sound /k/ undergoes the fronting process for which (3) been through; been true; in the because the influence of front vowel /i/. In night pronouncing the sound /k/ in the example (4) when they; been there; in the above, the speaker needs to narrow his/her oral cavity along with the blade of the tongue Those examples (3) and (4) actually raised to the hard palate. complete the types of dentalization in which the first example shows the rule when /n/ Reduction meets /ɵ/ in the word through, the second example represents the dentalization This process denotes when a phoneme is process when /n/ meets /t/ in the word true reduced in its pronunciation. The writer and the last example denotes when /n/ is found several cases of this process. Here are followed by /ð/ in the word the. It also the examples of reduction found in happens in the words they, there and the for Gunslinger and Second Heartbeat lyrics: which the sound /n/ meets /ð/. The dentalization process requires a speaker to (7) too; to; towards; matter; letters; position the tip of the tongue between the have upper front teeth when he/she pronounces (8) but; can; as; of; confide; to the sound /n/. It happens because of the dental sounds’ influence. The examples above shows the reduction process in which the vowels turn into mid- Rounding central vowel or it is called as schwa (/ə/). All the vowels above undergo the reduction This kind of nasalization is rare to find in process because of the speed of the speaker the lyrics. The writer only found one case of in speech. In that song, the singer rounding process in which the sound /k/ is pronounced those words in high-speed. For followed by rounded segment. Here is the instance is in the word too /tu:/ in which the example of rounding process taken from the vowel is reduced and becomes /tə/. It also lyrics: happens in the second word where to /tʊ/ turns into /tə/ as the result of vowel (5) question reduction. In the third word toward /tʊˈwɔːrd/ turns into /tə’wɔ:rd/, then matter The word question above shows the /’mætəɹ/ becomes /’mætɹ/, letters /’lɛtəɹ/ process of rounding in which the sound /k/ becomes /’lɛtɹ/ while for the word have meets a diphthong /ʊɛ/ in which it belongs /hæv/, it turns into /həv/. to the rounded segment. Because the diphthong influences the pronunciation of The example (8) also show the process /k/, the sound /k/ undergoes the rounding of reduction where all the vowels in the process. That is why, the pronunciation of unstressed position turn into schwa such as /k/ in the word question is started with the in the word but /bʌt/ the pronunciation will rounded shape of oral cavity. be /bət/, the word can /kæn/ turns into /kən/. The vowel /o/ in of /ɑ:v/ turns into

17 Dwi Nita Febriyanti

/əv/ and so does in the word confide pronounced as /lu:ktu/. Elision is the way a /kən’faɪd/ where the first vowel is in the speaker maintains the speed of speech in unstressed position. In the last word to /tʊ/ order to make their pronunciation easier. the vowel is also reduced because of the effect of speaker’s speed in speech. Double Processes

Elision Besides all the characteristics which are mentioned above, the writer also found This process involves the omission of a several words from the lyrics which contain phoneme in its pronunciation. The writer double processes as its phonological process. found several cases which belong to Elision. Here are several examples of words which Most of them are both the short form of a denote either the double processes or the word (apostrophe is the indicator) and the combination of the processes: elision of sound /t/ and /d/. Here are the found examples in Gunslinger and Second (12) you've; Heartbeat lyrics: (13) coming; (14) grown to; (9) ’Cause; heart's; won't; you're (15) don't matter; (10) it through; It don't; helped me; just (16) and; to (17) won't be. (11) Left the; forget you; get to; left me; looked to In case (13), it has double process: they are elision and reduction, where its In case (9), the elision process happens since pronunciation /ju:ev/ undergoes both those words constitute the short form and elision as well as it is a short form of have the apostrophe as the indicator of elision. and the pronunciation /ev/ shows the The word ‘cause is the short form of because. reduction process of /hæv/. The word (13) While the apostrophe (’s) in the second and undergoes the elision and assimilation fourth word encode the short form of to be processes. Elision since it turns from coming is. In the third word, the word won’t /kʌmɪŋ/ into /kʌmɪn/, while the sound /i/ constitutes the short form of will not. While undergoes the assimilation process, the apostrophe (‘re) in the example (10) especially nasalization because the vowel /i/ means to be are is followed by a nasal sound /n/. In the word (14), its double assimilations as its process: In cases (10) and (11), the elision nasalization and dentalization. The sound process happens because the omission of /oʊ/ is pronounced as nasal sound for which sounds /t/ and /d/ in the pronunciation. The it is followed by a nasal /n/, while the pronunciation of the words it through /ɪt dentalization happens because the sound ɵru:/ will be /ɪɵru:/, while in the word I /n/ is followed by a dental sound /t/. That is don’t, the /t/ sound will be altered by /d/ why the speakers need to put their tip of the sound and the pronunciation will be tongue between the teeth when pronouncing /ɪdɔ:ɂ/.The words helped me are pronounced the sound /n/. as /hɛlpmɪ/ while the words died my are pronounced as /daɪmaɪ/ then the words lend In the word (15), three processes me will be pronounced as /lɛnmɪ/. happen there. The first is elision in which the apostrophe denotes the short form of not, Furthermore, the words left the, the while the second process is reduction in pronunciation will be /lefðə/ and for the which it pronunciation is changed from words forget you it will be pronounced as /dɔ:ɂ/ into /də:ɂ/ and also /mætəɹ/ into /fəɹ’gɛʧu:/. It also happens the words get to /matɹ/. The last process is assimilation for will be pronounced as /gɛʧu:/ and left me is which the pronunciation of /də:ɂ mætɹ/ pronounced as /lefmɪ/. For the last example, turns into /də:mætɹ/. The sound /n/ turns it constitutes the omission of /d/ sound for into /m/ as the anticipation of meeting the which the words looked to will be bilabial sound /m/. Meanwhile, the 18 Vol. 15 No. 1 – April 2015 nasalization process happens because the Bybee, Joan. Phonology and language use. sound /i/ in the word making is influenced Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, by the nasal sound /ŋ/ as the following 2001. Print. sound. Collins, B. & Mees, I.M. Practical In the word (16), reduction and elision and Phonology. New York: Routledge, processes occur. The reduction of the vowel 2003. Print. happens for which it is reduced from /æ/ into /ə/ and the elision happens to the Flemming, E., and S. Johnson. “Rosa’s roses: sound /d/, so the pronunciation will be reduced vowels in .” changed from /ænd/ to /ən/. In the word Journal of the International Phonetic (17), it involves two processes in its Association, Vol. 37, 2007. pronunciation: elision and assimilation. The elision is marked by the apostrophe which Giegerich, H.J. : An represents the short form of will not and the Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge assimilation happens in which the sound /n/ University Press, 1992. Print. is pronounced as /m/ for anticipating the bilabial stop as its following sound. As a Griffen, Toby D. “Pitch, stress, and vowel result, the pronunciation is changed from reduction.” General Linguistics. 1998: /wɔ:ɂ bɪ/ into /wɔ:mbɪ/. 17–32. Print.

Conclusion Ladefoged, P. A Course in Phonetics: Third Edition. Los Angeles: University of From the findings and discussions California, 1993. Print. above, the writer formulated some important points as the conclusion. From Moleong, Lexy J. Metode Penelitian Kualitatif. the first song, the writer recognized four Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya, 1990. kinds of assimilation process namely Print. nasalization, dentalization, rounding and fronting. While for the reduction process, O’Grady, W. et al. Contemporary Linguistics: she found six cases and twelve cases for An Introduction. New York: St. Martin’s, elision process. She also found six cases 2005. Print. which have more than one phonological process. In the second song, the writer found Odden, D. Introducing Phonology. Cambridge: three kinds of assimilation namely Cambridge University Press, 2005. nasalization, dentalization and fronting. For Print. the reduction process, she recognized six cases and seven cases which belong to the Radford, A. et al. Linguistics: An Introduction. elision process. Moreover, she found four Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, cases which involve more than one 2009. Print. phonological process in their pronunciations. Van Bergem, D.R. Acoustic and Lexical Vowel Reduction. Dissertation. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam, 1995. Print.

References

Akmajian, A. et al. Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication. London: The MIT Press, 2001. Print.

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