III. Modifications of Vowels in Connected Speech.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 957.

The modifications of vowels in a speech chain can be quantitative, qualitative or

both. These changes of vowels are determined by a number of factors such as the position of the vowel, in the word, accentual structure, tempo of speech, rhythm, etc.

The decrease of the vowel quantity (the shortening of the vowel length) is known as a quantitative modification of vowels, which may be illustrated as follows:

1) The shortening of the vowel length occurs in an unstressed position. In this case reduction affects both the length of the unstressed vowels and their quality.

For example, Is it → on or ١in the table? [Pn]

But: This →lamp is on the ١table in the room. [qn]

Is →he or ١she to blame? – [hi:].

But: In the ر morning he a'rrived and 'solved all his١problems. [hI]

2) The length of a vowel depends on its positioning a word. It varies in different phonetic environments. For example, knee – need – neat. The vowel [i:] is the longest in the final position, it is shorter before the lenis voiced consonant [d], and it is the shortest before the fortis voiceless consonant [t].

Quantitative modifications of most vowels occur in unstressed positions Vowels lose “their characteristics”, quality:

1) In unstressed syllables vowels of full value are usually apt to quantitative changes. For example, man [mxn] – postman ['pqVstmqn], conduct ['kPndqkt] – conduct [kqn'dAkt]. In such cases the quality of the vowel is reduced to the neutral sound [q].

The neutral sound [q] is the most frequent sound of English. In continuous text it represents about 11% (per cent) of all sounds. It is the result of the rhythmic pattern: if unstressed syllables are given only a short duration, the vowel in them which might be otherwise full is reduced. English rhythm prefers a pattern in which stressed syllables alternate with unstressed ones. In single words a shift of stress is often accompanied by a change of vowel quality; a full vowel becomes [q], and [q] becomes a full vowel. Compare: analyze ['xnqlaIz] – analysis [q'nxlIsIs]; in both words full vowels appear in the stressed positions, alternating with [q] in unstressed positions.

In Russian there is a well-developed system of unstressed vowels. All the Russian vowels are regularly subjected to reduction, the vowels [о], [и] more often than others. The degree of sound weakening depends on the place of the unstressed vowel in relation to the stressed one. The farther the unstressed syllable is from the stressed one, the weaker the vowel in the unstressed syllable is. For example, хорошо [хърашó].

2) Slight degree of nasalization marks vowels preceded or followed by the nasal consonants[n], [m]. For example, never, no, then, men (accommodation).

The realization of reduction as well as assimilation and accommodation is connected with the style of speech. In rapid colloquial speech reduction may result in vowel elision, the complete omission of the unstressed vowel, which is also known as zero reduction. Zero reduction is likely to occur in a sequence of unstressed syllables, history, factory, laboratory, literary, territory, etc. It often occurs in initial unstressed syllables preceding the stressed one, for example, complete, believe, presuppose, perhaps.

The example below illustrates a step-by-step reduction (including zero reduction) of a phrase.

Has he done it? [hxz hI·׀ dAn It]

[hqz hI ׀ dAn It]

[qz I ׀ dAn It]

[z I ׀ dAn It]

Certain interrelation (between the full form of a word and its reduced forms) is conditioned by the tempo, rhythm and style of speech.

Topics for discussion:

1) What are the integral characteristics of vowels?

2) What is the quality of a vowel determined and modified by? What can the particular quality of a vowel depend on?

3) What criteria are conceived to be of great importance in classificatory description?

4) Which groups are English vowels subdivided into when the change in the tongue position is fairly weak? Name 20 vocalic phonemes which are made of vowels and vowel glides. Do you know any other long phonemes with different glides?

5) Are there any diphthongs or diphthongoids in Russian? How do we call them?

6) How many classes of English vowels do Soviet phoneticians distinguish

according to the horizontal movement of the tongue? What are they?

7) What role do lips play in the production of a sound? When are vowels checked? What are long / short vowels?

8) What does the duration of a vowel depend on? What is it modified by? What vowel oppositions exist? What does D. Jones call chronemes?

9) Is tenseness a vowel characteristic? What features are considered to be indispensable constituents of vowel quality?

10) Are there any alternations of vowels in stressed and unstressed syllables between the derivatives or different grammatical forms of the same word in English and Russian?

11) What are quantitative and qualitative modifications of vowels caused by? What is reduction (as well as assimilation and accommodation) connected with?

Lecture VII. Syllabiс system.