Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. Chapter 7: Features 7.1 Segmental Composition: n Speech sounds can be decomposed into a number of articulatory components. n Combining these properties in different ways produces different speech sounds. n Properties = features. (Properties or features). n Features show what sounds have in common with each other and how they are related or not related. n The examples of the /t/ and /d/, show that there are so many things operating at the same time for one sound to be produced. E.g. 1- air comes out from lungs, 2- vocal cords take action 3- velum raises, 4- tongue moves (active articulator) 5- alveolar ridge be in contact (passive articulator). If any of these features changed, another sound will be produced; we change the action of the vocal cords (glottis being apart) and we produce /d/ sound for example. n Two sounds can constitute a natural class if they both have set of particular features: /t/ and /d/ constitute a natural class, alveolar stop /k/ /g/ /ŋ/ constitute a natural class, velar stop 7.2 Phonetic vs. Phonological Features: n Phonetic features: correspond to physical articulatory or acoustic events (how sounds are articulated or produced). n Phonological features: (mental aspect of sounds in the language). n “+” (if the feature is part of the classification of sound). “-” (if it is not) for each of features. n A feature has two values (+ or -) is known as a binary feature. Page 1 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. [p] [t] [k] + - - Bilabial - - - Labiodentals - - - Dental - + - Alveolar - - - Palatal - - + Velar - - - Uvular Many phonologists deal with representing the major place of articulation using just two binary features: § [± anterior]: sounds produced no further back in the oral tract than the alveolar ridge. § [± coronal]: sounds produced in the area bounded by the teeth and hard palate. § Only these two features give four possible combinations. [+ anterior] [+ anterior] [- anterior] [- anterior] [- coronal] [+ coronal] [+ coronal] [- coronal] Labials Alveolars & Dentals Palatals Velars & Uvulars [p, b, f, v] [t, d, s, z, θ ,ð] [j, ʃ ,ӡ, ʧ,ʤ,] [k, g, x, r] 7.3 Charting the Features: (Distinguish major classes of speech sounds) n Speech of sounds can generally be divided into at least two major classes: consonants and vowels. (which can be further subdivided into obstruents, sonorant, consonants, vowels and glides) 7.3.1 Major class features: n Distinguish major classes of speech sounds: (consonants and vowels, sonorant and obstruents). n Page 2 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. 7.3.1 Major class features (syllabic, consonantal, sonorant) Feature Explination those sounds which function as the nucleus (peek) of a syllable. [+syll] As: vowels [æ] & [ɪ] in ['ɹæbɪt], nasal [n] in [kɑː]σ[tn]σ, and liquids syllabic] those sounds which DO NOT function as syllabic nuclei. - [- syll] As: [ɹ], [b]and [t] in ['ɹæbɪt] [+/ those sounds which involve oral stricture of at least close [+cons] approximation. As: [p], [l] and [t] in [pælrt] those sounds with stricture more open than close approximation. consonantal] [-cons] As: [j] and [ɛ] in [jɛs] - [+/ those sounds which show a clear formant pattern [+ son] As [n], [j] and [u:] in [nju;ts] sonorant] those sounds which have NO clear formant pattern - [- son] As [k] in [buk], [obstruents] [+/ 7.3.2 Consonantal features (voice) those sounds which are produced with airflow through the glottis in which the vocal cords are close enough to vibrate; the two glottis are [+voi] snapping together rapidly These include the glides, sonorants and voiced obstruents As: [l] [m] [n]and[d] of ['sælǝmændǝ] voice] - [+/ those sounds which produced with the vocal cords at rest and is [-voi] relevant primarily to obstruents; the two gottis are apart As: [s] and [p] in [æsp] Page 3 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. 7.3.3 Place features (coronal, anterior) those sounds which are articulated with the tongue tip or blade raised [+ cor] As: [t] and [d] in ['tædˎpoul] [+cor]: [j, l, ɹ, n, t, d, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ] those sounds whose articulation does not involve the front coronal] - [- cor] of the tongue [+/ As: [p] in ['tædˎpoul] [-cor]: [w, m, n, k, g, h, f, v, p, b] those sounds which are produced at or in front of the alveolar ridge [+ant] as [s] and [n] in [sneɪk] [+ant]: [l, ɹ, n, m, t, d, Ɵ, ð, s, z, f, v, p, b] anterior] those sounds which are produced further back in the oral cavity than - [-ant] the alveolar ridge. As: [k] and [dʒ] in [keɪdʒ] [+/ [-ant]: [j, w, ŋ, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, k, g, h] 7.3.4 Manner features (continuant, nasal, strident, lateral, delayed release) those sounds in which there is free airflow through the oral cavity. As [+ cont] all the sounds in [fIʃ] [+ cont]: [j, w, l, ɹ, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h, f, v] those sounds in which the airflow is stopped in the oral cavity. This continuant] - [- cont] includes both the oral and nasal stops. [+/ As: [m] and [p] sounds in [mæp] [- cont]: [n, m, ŋ, t, d, tʃ, dʒ, k, g, p, b] those sounds with the velum lowerd and consequent airflow through [+ nas] the nasal cavity, as [m] sounds in ['mæmǝƟ ] nasal] - [+/ [+ nas]: [n, m, ŋ] Page 4 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. those sounds which are produced without airflow through the nasal [- nas] cavity, As: all sounds in [Ɵɹʌʃ] [- nas]: [j, w, l, ɹ, t, d, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, k, g, h, f, v, p, b] those sounds which involve a complex constriction which results in a [+ strid] noisy or hissing airflow, As: [ʃ] in [ʃi:p] [+ strid]: [s, z, ʃ, tʃ, dʒ, f, v] strident] - those sounds without such constriction, [+/ [- strid] As: the [Ɵ] and [n] in [ƟIn] [- strid]: [j, w, l, ɹ, n, m, ŋ, t, d, Ɵ, ð, k, g, h, p, b] those sounds which are produced with central oral obstruction and [+ lat] airflow passing over one or both sides of the tongue. l] [+ lat]: [l] latera - Refers to all other sounds. [+/ [- lat] [- lat]: [j, w, ɹ, n, m, ŋ, t, d, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, k, g, h, f, v, p, b]. those sounds which are produced with stop closure in the oral cavity [+del rel] followed friction at the same point of articulation, As: [tʃ] in ['tʃrpˎmʌŋk] release] [+delrel]: [tʃ, dʒ] [-del rel] those sounds which are produced without such an articulation. delayed - [+/ [-del rel]: [j,w ɹ,n,m,ŋ,t, d, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, k, g, h, f, v, p, b] 7.3.5 Vocalic features The feature that is dealt with in this section is primarily of relevance to distinctions between vowels. Some are also relevant to consonantal distinctions. Vowels need to be distinguished in terms of height, backness, roundness and length, and for these distinctions we use the features [height], [low], [back], [front], [round], [tense] and [advanced tongue root]. Page 5 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. those sounds which involve the body of the tongue raised above what is often called the “natural” position. [+ hi] As: [ɪ] in ['wɪpɪt], [+hi] consonants include the [j] and [k] in [jæk] high] - those sounds where the body of the tongue is not so raised, [+/ [- hi] As: [ɛ] in ['fɛɹɪt]. [-hi] consonants include the [p,ɹ,t] in ['pæɹǝt] those sounds in which the body of the tongue is lowered with respect [+ lo] to the natural position. As: [æ] in [ænt]. The only[+lo] consonants in English are the glottal stop [Ɂ] and the glottal fricative [h] low] - those sounds without such lowering. As: [ɔ:] in [hɔ:s]. [+/ [- lo] All English consonants except [h] and [Ɂ] are [-lo] Note: that specification [-hi, -lo] characterizes mid vowels such as [ɛ] and [ɔ]. those sounds in which the body of the tongue is retracted from the [+ back] neutral position, As: [u:] in [bǝbu:n]. [+ back] consonants include the [k], [ŋ] and [g] in [ˎkæŋɡǝ'ɹu:] back] those sounds in which the tongue is not retracted, As: the[ɛ] in [wɛlk]. - [- back] all English consonants except the velars are[-back]. [+/ those sounds in which the body of the tongue is fronted from neutral [+ front] position. These include the vowels [i:] and [ɪ] As: in ['i:ɡɹɪt] and the [ɛ] of[ɛft] and the [æ] of [æsp]. front] those sounds in which the tongue is not fronted. - / [- front] [-front] includes both central and back vowels as the [ǝ] and [u:] of [b [+ ǝ'bu:n] those sounds which are produced with rounded lips. only[w] among [+ rnd] the consonants of English is [+rnd] As: [ɔ:] in [hɔ:s] round] - those sounds which are produced with neutral or spread lips. As: [ɑ:] [+/ [- rnd] in [ɑ:dvɑ:k]. all English consonants apart from[w] are [-rnd] Page 6 of 16 Department of European Languages and Literature LANE 335, Phonology. those sounds which involve considerable muscular constriction [+ tns] (tensing) of the body of the tongue compared to its neutral state. This constriction results in a longer and more peripheral sound. As: the [i:] in [ʃi:p] tense] - [+/ those sounds which involve no such constriction, resulting in shorter [- tns] and more centralized sounds. As: the [ɪ] in [dɪp]. those sounds which are produced with the root of the tongue pushed [+ ATR] forward from its “neutral” position. Typically Resulting in the tongue ongue ongue body being pushed upward, T ATR As: the akan vowels [e, ɜ, o, u] oot] R those sounds in which the tongue root is not pushed forward, As: dvanced dvanced [- ATR] the akan vowels [ɛ, a, ɔ, ʊ] A [ Chapter 8: Phonemic analysis 8.1 Sounds that are the same but different We saw that there is something about the t-sounds in: “tuck”, “stuck”, and “cut” that is same, in the sense that speakers of English group together as 't-sounds'.