Fundamentals of Linguistics _ Lecture 2

How many types of alternation are there?

• 7

• 10

• 11

• 12

Two adjacent segments become more similar.

• Local assimilation

• Long-distance assimilation

• Coalescence

• Dissimilation

Two segments merge into a single segment which shares some properties of both.

e.g. /miːt + ju/ meet you → [miːtʃu]

/t, d, s, z/ merge with /j/ (belonging to

an unstressed syllable) into [tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ].

Long-distance assimilation

• Two adjacent segments become more similar.

• Two segments become more similar.

• Two segments that are not immediately adjacent become more similar.

• Two segments that are not immediately adjacent become less similar.

[fer-θik-e] he was carried

[stal-θik-e] he was sent

[akus-tik-e] he was heard

[ðex-tik-e] it was received

The UR of the Ancient Greek past perfect

suffix is /θik/, which becomes:

• [tik] when preceded by a fricative;

• [θik] when preceded by other sounds.

• Long-distance assimilation

• Dissimilation

• Lenition

• Fortition

A segment is pronounced with more force of articulation.

e.g. The URs /p, t, k/ become [ph, th, kh] in

syllable-initial position.

[phɪn] pin [spɪn] spin

[thɒp] top [stɒp] stop

[khɪl] kill [skɪl] skill

• Fortition

• Lenition

The UR /t, d/ becomes

• [ɾ] between two vowels and

after a stressed syllable;

• [t, d] elsewhere.

[ˈæɾəm] atom

[əˈthɑːmɪk] atomic

[ˈæɾɪŋ] adding

[əˈdɪʃn] addition

[ˈmɛɾəl] metal

[məˈthælɪk] metallic

• Lenition

• Fortition

• Debuccalization

• Epenthesis

A segment is inserted

/wɔːmθ/ → [wɔːmpθ] warmth

/tɛnθ/ → [tɛntθ] tenth

• Deletion

• Epenthesis

• Length changing

• Metathesis

Old English Modern English

/hros/ /hɔːɹs/ horse

/bridde/ /bɜːɹd/ bird

/θridda/ /θɜːɹd/ third

• Length changing

  =A long segment becomes short or a short segment becomes long.

• Fortition

  =A segment is pronounced with more force of articulation.

• Metathesis

  = Two segments switch in order.

• Coalescence

  = Two segments merge into a single segment which shares some properties of both.

A vowel is shortened before a voiceless consonant

/hiːl/ → [hiːl] heal

/hiːt/ → [hit] heat

/luːm/→ [luːm] loom

/luːs/ → [lus] loose

/liːd/ → [liːd] lead

/liːp/ → [lip] leap

• Deletion

• Metathesis

• Length changing

• Lenition