C) the lip position

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 541.

If consonants [k], [g], [t], [s], [d] precede sonorant [w], they become labialized, or lip-rounded:

twist, twice, sweater, swim, question, quite, dwelling, bad weather, language, Gwendolyn, persuade.

As far as the direction is concerned, assimilation may be progressive, regressive and double (reciprocal).

Progressive assimilation can be represented by the formula A→B where the assimilated consonant is influenced by the preceding sound: free, price.

In regressive assimilation the preceding sound is affected by the following one: A←B – in them, maple.

In double assimilation two adjacent sounds influence each other: A↔B – twenty, tree.

According to the degree of completeness assimilation may be complete, partial and intermediate.

Assimilation is said to be complete when the articulation of the assimilated consonant fully coincides with that of the assimilating one:

horse-shoe, does she.

Assimilation is said to be partial when the assimilated consonant retains its main phonemic features and becomes only partly similar in some features of its articulation to the assimilating sound:

twice, please, tenth.

The degree of assimilation is said to be intermediate between complete and partial when the assimilated consonant changes into a different sound, but does not coincide with the assimilating consonant:

gooseberry, congress, newspaper.

According to its degree of stability assimilation can be historical and contextual.