Font size
WorksheetsFundamentals of Linguistics _ Lecture 2
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 6mins
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].
(a)
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