The syllable

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University Applied Language Studies And Research in Higher Education Master Program Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Dhar Mehraz, Fez Submittted by: Supervised by: Benhima Mohamed Dr. Souad Slaoui Academic Year : 2014/2015 1. An overview of the syllable: 1.1. Preliminaries: The notion syllable has been subject to several accounts in the literature of phonology. Hence, we have multiplicity of definitions. In general, a syllable is purely a phonological entity which consists of cluster of sounds that have vowel as nucleus. This implies that the syllable is a structure. Thus, the question that raises itself is what is the structure of syllables? How can it be represented? What are its functions? 1.2. The representation of syllable structure: Many models have appeared to account for the representation of syllable structure. The majority of phonologists, like Kiparsky (1979), Halleand Vergnaud (1980), Steriade (1982) and Harris (1983), focused on branching, hierarchical syllable structure in the framework of multi-tiered phonological theory. Within this framework, phonological representations consist of a number of independent levels that are linked to each other. The examples below adopted from Katmba (1989: p 154) illustrate this model. Figure 1: different representations of syllable structure Note that the rhyme in ever is simple in that it contains just one constituent (the head), namely the vowel. Since the syllable is identified by vowel more than consonant, the rhyme is considered the compulsory element in syllable structure for the simple reason that vowels occupy the slot of nucleus in rhymes, not onsets. Typically, the nucleus slot in the rhyme is occupied by a vowel but occasionally a consonant may fill that position, as in little where the final [l] is syllabic. While this may be true in phonology, both onset and rhyme are equally important in poetry in that they distinguish alliteration and rhyme respectively. Another model for syllable representation is suggested by Hyman (1985). Within this model, phonological representation consists of rhythmic weight units rather than onsets and rhymes or C and V slots proposed by other writers. Consonants lose their weight units and get re-associated with the weight unit of an adjacent vowel by the syllabification rules. Those segments whose association with a weight unit is preserved to the end of a derivation are syllabic. 1.3. The CV-tier: Hockett (1947) and Abercrombie (1967), CV-tier (Consonant-Vowel tier) is used to represent sequences of CV elements. 1.3.1. A generative CV-phonology model of syllable structure: Clements and Keyser (1983) expanded the CV tier as follows: Figure 2: Clements and Keyser CV Tier Model (ibid, p157) N.B: The V represents the nucleus, i.e. the peak of sonority, while C represents either the onset or the margin Like syntax, three-tiered structure is a constituency structure consisting of a syllable node 'a' ; a cv-tier whose c and v elements dominate (i.e. have below them as constituents in the syllable tree) consonantal and vowel segments; and a segmental tier consisting of bundles of distinctive feature matrices which represent consonant and vowel Segments (these features may be abbreviated using letters of the phonetic alphabet). Using association lines, segmental tiers are linked in a well formed manner to CV tiers. To know whether a segment is syllabic or non syllabic, we should know whether it is linked to V-element or C-element respectively. The V-element in the CV-tier contains the sonority peak. There is, in fact, a sonority hierarchy in distributing sounds in the syllable. Figure 3: sonority hierarchy (ibid p158) As can be noted above, openness and propensity for voicing increase the sonority of a sound. Vowels are by definition more sonorant than consonants. Thus, they constitute the nucleus of the syllable in contrast to consonants which constitute either the onsets or the margin (coda, tail) of the syllable. As a recapitulation, Hocket and Abrecombie developed the cv tier model while Hyman ceme up with weight and syllabification. 1.3.2. Syllabification : Syllabication in its dictionary meaning refers to the devision of words into syllables. Thus, what needs to be shown is: To which syllable node are C-elements assigned in ambiguous cases,where they could go with either the preceding or the following vowel? To which syllable, for example, should the middle consonant of panic (CVCVC ) be assigned? To give an answer to this thorny question, the onset first princple is used to delimit syllables. A string like VCV,the Onset First Principle requires that the string be divided up as V-CV rather than VC-V:a word like ever [eva] is divided up as [e-va] and not *[ev-a]. another way of delimiting syllable is by respecting phonotactic rules. Since tl- is not a permissible combination syllable-initially in English, a word like atlas, the Onset First Principle not withstanding, cannot be syllabified as *atlas; rather it must be divided up as atlas. 1.4. Functions of syllable: Segments, boundaries and rules stating permissible combinations of segments in morphemes and words are sufficient to describe the sound system of language. The syllable also has a major role in descrebing the sound system of language. 1.4.1. The syllable as the basic phonotactic unit: Since knowledge of phonemes and allophones is not sufficient to account for such a deviance [tleg], we should know segments larger than individual sounds. We should know phonotactics (morpheme structure conditions) which refers to constraints on the combination of sounds. The syllable is the unit in which phonotactic rules operate. For example, the sequence tl is allowed as long as t and l occur in different syllables as in boot-leg [but-leg], at-las [set-Is], partly [pat-li] or litt-le [lit-J]. the sequence tl is not allowed in the same syllable, hence, the impossibility of the word tleg. 1.4.2. The syllable as the domain of phonological rules Syllable also plays a crucial role in the statement of phonological rules. For example, the rule of vowel nasalisation which can be stated informally as: naslise any vowel when it ocurs before a nasal sound may not be applied to i in sentiment for the simple reason that i is not tautosyllabic. 1.4.3. The syllable and the structure of complex segments: The main functions of the syllable is to provide an analysis of the internal structure of segments and to indicate the number of rhythmic units present in a syllable. This depends on the way C and V elements present on the CV-tier are linked with consonant and vowel segments on the segmental tier (Hyman1985).Three patterns of internal segmental structure are possible: a) There is one to one association of V or C with a segment: Figure 4: one to one association of CV-tier to segmental tier(ibid 169) b) Simultaneous association of one segment with two C or V slots.That is the case when consonants are gemeinated as in the chart below: Figure 6: Segement’s essociation with two CV tiers (ibid p 170) c) The simultaneous association of a single C slot with two segmental distinctive feature matrices as in the case of affricates: Figure 7: Single CV tier’s association with two segments (ibid p 170) 1.4.4. Compensatory lenghthning: A high vowel is realised as a nonsyllabic glide if it appears followed by another vowel;it is delinked from aV slot and re-associated with a C slot. 1.4.5. The syllable as indispensable building block for higher phonological domains Supra segmental or higher prosodic phenomena such as stress, naslisation, quantity (length) need syllable as phonetic ground on which they can o perate. Pnultimate syllable is necessary for stress to operate. 1.5. Syllable weight: A distinction is often made between open syllables and closed syllables. The former ends in a vowel, while the latter ends in a consonant. Light oor heavey syllable non branching or branching. In a heavy syllable the rhyme contains either (i) a long vowel or diphthong optionally followed by one or more consonants ; or (ii) a short vowel followed by at least one consonant as in paa pat. In a heavy syllable the rhyme contains a long vowel or diphthong . The metaphor of projection of vowels 1.6. Abstract segments: Vowel trunctuation refers to v deltion. i.e., when two vowels are met, one is deleted.When a vowel is met with a consonant sounds, the sounds stay unaffected. In the case of h-aspire words, there is a nun attached C which inhibits the application of the vowel truncation (deletion ) rule although it is not linked to any concrete sound on the segmental tier. Figure 7: The case of the unatteched C (ibid p 180) 1.7. Extrasyllabicty: A segment which is floated or which is not linked by association lines to c or v is said to be extra syllabic. The example bellow illustrates a floated segment. Figure 8: The case of the extrasyllabicity (ibid p 183) 2. The issues raised: Typically, the nucleus slot in the rhyme is occupied by a vowel but occasionally a consonant may fill that position, as in little where the final l is syllabic Another question that arises is to which syllable node are C-elements assigned in ambiguous cases,where they could go with either the preceding or the following vowel? To which syllable, for example, should the middle consonant of panic (CVCVC ) be assigned? Onset first principle cannot account for syllabification, but we need also general principles which are exemplified in phonotactic rules. 3. The objective: This chapter investigates the notion syllable its structure and its functions. It also aims at presenting different accounts for the notion syllable by presenting Hocket, Abrecombie and Hyman models. 4. Evaluation: The evaluation of the chapter mainly targets the content and the form: In terms of the content, the chapter extracted from Katamba (ibid) provides a multimodal description of the syllable structure. If focalizes mainly on three models, namely Hocket, Abrecombie and Hyman. However, the treatment of syllable in this chapter was done only in CV Tier model. In terms of the form, the content of the chapter was presented in a clear way. The style used by the author was not complicated. Furthermore, the author continuously explains each concept used in the description by highlighting it and providing concrete examples. Bibliography: Hyman, L. M. (1975). Phonology: Theory and Analysis. Washington, D.C: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Katamba, F. (1989). An Introduction to Phonology. London: Longmans Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary© Oxford University Press, 2010