Theories of syllable formation and division.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 539.

The types of transcription.

There are different types of transcription depending upon the degree of the exactness required. If it is accuracy only in the representation of the phoneme of the language that is required, the transcription should provide each phoneme with a distinctive symbol to avoid ambiguity – this type of transcription is generally called PHONEMIC or BROAD. It contains as many symbols as there are phonemes in the language. The phonemic data is usually enclosed between virgules (also called diagonals or slant brackets): /t/.

Those which provide some of the typical allophones with distinctive symbols and introduce special maks to denote different features the allophones are characterized by are called PHONETIC or NARROW TRANSCRIPTION. Sometimes it's called ALLOPHONIC. The phonetic data is customarily enclosed in square brackets. This type of transcription is used when for the focus is on particular details of pronunciation.

A phonemic transcription is particularly useful as a corrective instrument in a language like English where the orthography does not consistently mirror present-day pronunciation.

There have been suggested several theories to explain the mechanism of syllable formation and syllable division in different languages.