Anthropology Test
abdlaz3
ANTH300_Chapter3TheSoundsofLanguage.pptxChapter 3 The Sounds of Language
What is language?
Language is a communication system consisting of formal units that are integrated through processes of combination.
Structural linguistics- description of formal properties of language
Etic vs. Emic
Ken Pike, 1950s
A core concept in anthropology
Etics
outside, cross-cultural /comparative
absolute, objective – founded on historical info
a step to analysis (positivistic)
Aikido (you don’t have to watch this entire video, but it is an example of an etic representation of a culture)
Emics
inside, culture-specific
relative, subjective
a goal of emic analysis.
Chapter 3
Why should we learn the basics of sound production?
It can help with speaking a language
Help you communicate clearly, especially if similar sounds can have different meaning
“Learning another language means learning to hear and pronounce language sounds that are different from those you grew up with”
What is phonology?
Two Parts:
Phonetics: identifies and describes language sounds
[pill] vs. [spill]
Phonemics: analyzes the way sounds are arranged in languages – differentiate meaning
[straight] vs. [state]
Phonemes: sounds on a phonemic chart-really specific details about the sounds used in a language—sound that functions to distinguish one word from another in a language
[tai] vs. [dai]
What happened in “Big Hello”? See page 51
Chapter 3
Speech Organs:
Lungs = pushing air out
Larynx and Vocal Cords/folds = voiced vs. voiceless
Supralaryngeal vocal tract = mouth and nose area
Why are language spelling systems unreliable when it comes to phonology?
Let us count the ways
One, two, three, four…
What are sun and moon consonants in Arabic? See page 59
Phonetics
Acoustic
physical properties of sound, sound waves,
Auditory
perception of sounds, psychological “reality”
Articulatory
pronunciation of sounds, articulation
also known as descriptive phonetics.
-use this link to prepare for transcription practice IPA Sounds
Consonants: Place
From front to back – pay attention to tongue placement and whether lips or teeth are involved:
(both lips)bilabial [p, b, m]
labiodental [f, v]
(inter)dental [θ, ð]
alveolar [t, d, s, z, n, l, ɹ]
alveopalatal (palatal-alveolar; postalveolar)
[ʃ, ʒ, ñ].
Consonants: Place (continued)
Front to back
velar [k, g, x, ɤ , ŋ]
uvular [ʀ ] (French ‘r’)
pharyngeal [ʢ (Arabic ‘ain’)]
glottal [ʡ, h] .
retroflex
[ʈ , ɖ]
Chapter 3 IPA Sounds
Places of Articulation
Glottal
Pharyngeal
Uvular
Velar
Palatal
Retroflex
Alveopalatal
Alveolar
Interdental
Labiodental
Bilabial
Manners of Articulation
Stop/Plosive
Fricative
Affricate
Tap/Trill
Approximant
Nasal
What is up with suprasegmentals? (more on slide 20)
Pitch, tone, clicks, and implosives
Need to use diacritics to show sounds
Consonants: Manner
Stops (plosives) [t, d], [!, ɗ]
Aspirated: [th, dh]
Fricatives [s, z]
Affricates [t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ]
Taps & Trills
Taps / flaps [ɾ]
Trills [ r ]
Nasals [ n ]
Approximants [ l, ɻ, j, w ].
Chapter 3-IPA Sounds
Vowels: Place
part of tongue raised
front, center, back
height of tongue
high, mid, low
i u
e o
a
Vowels: Manner
rounded
[u, o] - back (e.g. most English back vowels)
[y, ø] - front (e.g., French, German, Danish)
unrounded
[ i, e] - front (e.g. all English front vowels)
[ɯ , ɣ] - back (e.g., Turkish, Native Am. langs)
tense/lax (close/open)
[i] vs [I] .
Writing Speech Sounds
Phonetic Charts & Symbols
Spelling vs phonetic transcription
cat (English) = [kæt]
Phonology
Sounds and their arrangements
Phonemics
analyze arrangements of sounds
identify groupings of sounds (phonemes)
Examples:
English “pill” vs “spill” -- [ph] + [p] = /p/
Hindi “phəl” (fruit) vs “pəl” (minute) -- [ph] + [p] = /ph / + /p/ .
Chapter 3
What is a minimal pair?
A difference in sound is a difference in meaning
ex/ “trick” and “tick” are minimal pairs
Can you think of some more in English or another language?
Allophones:
are heard as ‘the same sound’ by native speakers
Ex/ “p” in “pit” and “p” in “spit” are allophones
Arranged in a Complimentary Distribution or conditioned variation –there are rules for when certain allophones are used i.e. following or preceding other sounds
Practice with Allophones: English /p/
[ph] (aspirated) [ph I t]
[p] (unaspirated) [s p I t ]
[p ̚] (unreleased) [s I p ̚]
/p/
[ph] / #___
[p ] / s___
what about ‘t’ and ‘k’ in English?
[p ̚ ] / ___#
Can allophones be used to signal differences in social and cultural identities and ideologies?
See page 69
Prosodic Features
Sound systems also make use of prosodic or suprasegmental which are features that alter and contrast the sounds or rhythms of speech.
Three prosodic features affect meaning:
Stress- degree of emphasis placed on syllables
Pitch- or tone refers to the voice pitch accompanying a syllable’s production.
Many languages use pitch to distinguish meaning.
Length-refers to continuation of a sound during its production.
Short vs. long vowel contrasts.
Paralanguage
Sounds that “accompany” speech
But aren’t words themselves
George Trager (1950s)
Voice qualities
Loudness, tone of voice
Pitch, speed, rhythm
Vocal modifications:
whispering, cooing, breathy voice, rising intonation
Vocal segregates (or vocal gestures)
Stand on their own
uh-huh, mhmm, shhhh, throat-clearing.
21
Shushing, hissing, etc.
How something is said instead of what is said
Chapter 3
Find some examples of the following paralanguage:
Voice Quality & Intonation – Valley Girl Talk
Vocal Gestures & Backchannel cues – Sounds that say “I am still listening”
Ideophones (sounds that represent other sounds) Dry or Slimy? Swish!
Speech Substitutes - Sound signals substitute for spoken words, or parts of words
Useful for communicating over distances
Examples:
based on tones (Nigeria)
based on tones
based on vowels
different whistled pitches = different vowels
Chapter 3
PhonETICs and PhonEMICs
Now you know where the terms etic and emic derived! Tell your friends
