Chapter 3: Phonology
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Janet Grijzenhout
Abstract
Changes in the sound system of a language may involve many different aspects. First, phonemes may be added to an inventory, they may become obsolete, or they may change their shape. Second, allophonic rules may emerge (e.g. “voice intersonorant fricatives”), disappear, or change. Third, phonotactic restrictions may be added (e.g. no syllable-initial /kn/ sequences, so that such clusters are reduced to one sound), or change their effect (e.g. the ban on /kn/ sequences may be resolved by epenthesis). Fourth, prosodic structure may change (resulting in, for instance, stress shift) and, fifth, morphophonological alternations (e.g. ablaut and umlaut) may start to play a different role or they may vanish (e.g. when morphology is regularized). This chapter will first briefly introduce the field of phonology as envisaged by structuralists and generative linguists. Section 2 discusses some changes in the consonant inventory, the allophonic variations, and the phonotactic restrictions in the history of the English language and shows that many of these changes are interrelated in the sense that a change in one component triggers an effect in another component. Section 3 expresses some ideas on the future of looking back on changes in the sound system, and Section 4 summarizes the chapter.
Abstract
Changes in the sound system of a language may involve many different aspects. First, phonemes may be added to an inventory, they may become obsolete, or they may change their shape. Second, allophonic rules may emerge (e.g. “voice intersonorant fricatives”), disappear, or change. Third, phonotactic restrictions may be added (e.g. no syllable-initial /kn/ sequences, so that such clusters are reduced to one sound), or change their effect (e.g. the ban on /kn/ sequences may be resolved by epenthesis). Fourth, prosodic structure may change (resulting in, for instance, stress shift) and, fifth, morphophonological alternations (e.g. ablaut and umlaut) may start to play a different role or they may vanish (e.g. when morphology is regularized). This chapter will first briefly introduce the field of phonology as envisaged by structuralists and generative linguists. Section 2 discusses some changes in the consonant inventory, the allophonic variations, and the phonotactic restrictions in the history of the English language and shows that many of these changes are interrelated in the sense that a change in one component triggers an effect in another component. Section 3 expresses some ideas on the future of looking back on changes in the sound system, and Section 4 summarizes the chapter.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- Abbreviations VII
- Chapter 1: Introduction 1
- Chapter 2: Periodization in the History of the English Language 8
- Chapter 3: Phonology 36
- Chapter 4: Prosody 57
- Chapter 5: Morphology 77
- Chapter 6: Syntax 102
- Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 123
- Chapter 8: Idioms and Fixed Expressions 140
- Chapter 9: Pragmatics and Discourse 165
- Chapter 10: Onomastics 185
- Chapter 11: Orthography 200
- Chapter 12: Styles, Registers, Genres, Text Types 218
- Chapter 13: Standards in the History of English 238
- Index 253
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- Abbreviations VII
- Chapter 1: Introduction 1
- Chapter 2: Periodization in the History of the English Language 8
- Chapter 3: Phonology 36
- Chapter 4: Prosody 57
- Chapter 5: Morphology 77
- Chapter 6: Syntax 102
- Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 123
- Chapter 8: Idioms and Fixed Expressions 140
- Chapter 9: Pragmatics and Discourse 165
- Chapter 10: Onomastics 185
- Chapter 11: Orthography 200
- Chapter 12: Styles, Registers, Genres, Text Types 218
- Chapter 13: Standards in the History of English 238
- Index 253
