Assimilation. Stylistic modification of sounds

Stylistic modification of sounds

Sound alternations

The sound variations in words, their derivatives and grammatical form words, are known as sound alternations. For example: the dark [l] in spell alternate with the clear [l] in spelling; c ombine (n) [‘kσmbain], combine [kəm’bain] where [n] in the stressed syllable of the noun alternates with the neutral sound. It is perfectly obvious that sound alternations of this type are caused by assimilation, accommodation and reduction in speech. To approach the matter from the phonological viewpoint, it is important to differentiate phonemic and allophone alternations. Some sound alternations are traced to the phonemic changes in earlier periods ofthe language development and are known as historical. Historical alternations mark both vowels and consonants, though the alternating sounds are not affected by the phonemic position or context. The sounds changes, which occurred in the process of historical development of the language, are reflected in present-day English as alternations of phonemes differentiating words, their derivatives and grammatical forms. The following list of examples presents the types of alternations:

1. Vowel alternations.

1.1 Distinction of irregular verbal forms [i:-e-e] mean - meant - meant; [i-æ-A] sing - sang - sung; [i-ei-i] give - gave - given;

1.2 Distinction of causal verbal forms: [i-e] sit - set; [ai-ei] rise - raise; [o - e] fall-fell

1.3 Distinction of parts of speech in etymologically correlated words [a: - æ] class - classify, [o: - e] long - length; [ei - æ] nation - national

2. Consonants alternations

2.1 Distinction of irregular verbal forms [d - t] send - sent

2.2 distinction of parts of speech [s - z] advice - advise; [k - t∫] speak - speech;

3. Vowel and consonant alternations [i - ai] + [v - f] live - life; [a: - ae] + [θ - ð] bath - bathe.

Stylistic modification is an expressive phonetic feature which lacks a phonological relevance in language system."Ser" is just a stylistic modification of "Sir", there is no specific historical use, it's just a simple way for a writer trying to give a familiar term an exotic sound.

18. Assimilation

19. accommodation - Modification in the articulation of a segment for the purpose of easing a transition to a following segment, as when English /k/ is fronted before a front vowel or glide (key, back yard), or when /t/ shifts from alveolar to dental before a dental fricative (eighth)

reduction is a quantitative or qualitative weakening of vowels in unstressed positions: b oa rd- blackb oa rd, m a n- postm a n.

1. R of length of vowel without changing its quality (quantitative R) you [ju:]-[ju]

2. R of quality of vowels (qualitative R) you [ju:]-[jʊ]

3. The omission of vowel or consonant sound (zero R) he is-he’s

Elision is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce. Sometimes, sounds may be elided for euphonic effect.The elided form of a word or phrase may become a standard alternative for the full form, if used often enough. In English, this is called a contraction, such as can't from cannot. Contraction differs from elision in that contractions are set forms that have morphologized, but elisions are not. comfortable: /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/ → /ˈkʌmftərbəl/ fifth: /ˈfɪfθ/ → /ˈfɪθ/ him: /hɪm/ → /ɪm/.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-31