Narrow phonetic Narrow phonetic transcriptiontranscription

Lect 4B LING1005/6105Lect 4B LING1005/6105

Topics and key conceptsTopics and key concepts Why Why speaking stylespeaking style and and sociolectsociolect co- co-

vary, though they constitute different vary, though they constitute different domains of speech variation.domains of speech variation.

How speech How speech gesturesgestures are co-ordinated are co-ordinated in connected speech,in connected speech,

Resulting in Resulting in connected speech connected speech processesprocesses,,

And And exotic soundsexotic sounds, revealed in narrow , revealed in narrow phonetic transcription of connected phonetic transcription of connected speech.speech.

Speaking style and Speaking style and SociolectSociolect

Speaking styleSpeaking style refers to one’s manner of refers to one’s manner of speaking, which can range from formal, careful, speaking, which can range from formal, careful, or ‘clear’ speech to informal, casual, or intimate.or ‘clear’ speech to informal, casual, or intimate.

SociolectSociolect refers to a form of speech that refers to a form of speech that characterises a particular social group that characterises a particular social group that share an identifiable way of talking. Sociolects share an identifiable way of talking. Sociolects may carry prestige and be emulated as may carry prestige and be emulated as ‘standards’ of good speech. Others may be ‘standards’ of good speech. Others may be looked down upon as ‘vernacular’, ‘low class’, or looked down upon as ‘vernacular’, ‘low class’, or ‘non-standard’.‘non-standard’.

Why do we say these are related dimensions of Why do we say these are related dimensions of speech variation?speech variation?

Connected speech processes Connected speech processes (CSPs)(CSPs)

Provide a link between Provide a link between casual speech casual speech stylestyle and more and more vernacularvernacular varieties of varieties of speech.speech.

CSPs are more prevlant in both.CSPs are more prevlant in both. To understand how CSPs operate, we To understand how CSPs operate, we

need to understand how articulatory need to understand how articulatory gestures are put together or controled by gestures are put together or controled by the articulatory apparatus.the articulatory apparatus.

Instrumental observations of speech such Instrumental observations of speech such as as cineradiographycineradiography can help us with this. can help us with this.

Articulation in action: Articulation in action: cineradiography of speech

Articulation in action: Articulation in action: cineradiography of speech

Things to look for:Things to look for: Lowering of uvula for Lowering of uvula for

‘a‘ann’’ Raising of uvula for ‘Raising of uvula for ‘ttop’ op’

and rest of utteranceand rest of utterance Raising blade of tongue Raising blade of tongue

for ‘afor ‘antntop’ and ‘op’ and ‘ddeck’eck’ Labial closure for ‘toLabial closure for ‘topp’’ Velar closure for ‘deVelar closure for ‘deckck’’

Articulation in action: Articulation in action: cineradiography of speech

Speech sound production Speech sound production arises from the co-arises from the co-ordination of independent ordination of independent gestures of:gestures of:

The jawThe jaw The uvularThe uvular The tongue bladeThe tongue blade The tongue bodyThe tongue body The lipsThe lips The voicing mechanism The voicing mechanism

(glottis)(glottis)

An articulogram showing gestures An articulogram showing gestures involved in the production of the word involved in the production of the word

‘‘tenth’tenth’

Time

An articulogram showing gestures involved An articulogram showing gestures involved in the production of the word ‘in the production of the word ‘tenth’tenth’

1. Tongue blade and velum raised, stopping air escape from mouth. Glottis open for voiceless stop consonant [t].

2. Tongue blade lowers, permitting air to escape rapidly. Glottis remains open, producing aspirated release of stop [th].

3. Glottis closes, causing vocal chords to vibrate (voicing) at start of vowel [e]. Voicing is maintained through [n] until voiceless fricative [] begins.

An articulogram showing gestures involved An articulogram showing gestures involved in the production of the word ‘in the production of the word ‘tenth’tenth’

4. Velum begins to lower during vowel, resulting in nasal resonance during latter part of vowel (nasalization) [ẽ].

5. Tongue blade raises again to block oral airflow for nasal consonant [n]. Velum achieves maximum opening of nasal port. Airflow directed entirely through nasal cavity.

6. Velum raised to block nasal airflow for fricative []. At same time, tongue blade lowers slightly to permit turbulent air escape through dental constriction for []. Also at the same time, the glottis opens again to turn off voicing for production of the voiceless fricative [].

What coarticulation effects are What coarticulation effects are illustrated in this example?illustrated in this example?

1. Nasalization of a vowel by a following nasal consonant.

2. Place (of articulation) assimilation; dentalization of the alveolar nasal by following dental fricative.

What kind of uvula opening gesture would What kind of uvula opening gesture would eliminate the nasalization coarticulation eliminate the nasalization coarticulation

effect?effect?

An instantaneous lowering of the uvula cannot be achieved; some gestural overlap is inevitable.

Gestural overlap is one source of coarticulation effects.

Articulatory undershootArticulatory undershoot

Another commonly observed property Another commonly observed property of gestures in connected speech.of gestures in connected speech.

‘ ‘a sense of humour’a sense of humour’

// s senens s v hjumv hjum/ => [/ => [sẽssẽsumum]]nasalization of vowel + incomplete closure for nasal nasalization of vowel + incomplete closure for nasal consonantconsonant

glottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricativeglottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricative

Articulatory undershootArticulatory undershoot

‘ ‘a sense of humour’a sense of humour’ // s senens s v hjumv hjum/ => [/ => [sẽssẽsumum]]

nasalization of vowel + incomplete closure for nasalization of vowel + incomplete closure for nasal consonantnasal consonant

Uvula lowers sufficiently to produce nasal Uvula lowers sufficiently to produce nasal resonance on the vowel, but there is resonance on the vowel, but there is incomplete closureincomplete closure by the blade of the by the blade of the tongue to produce a nasal consonant tongue to produce a nasal consonant before the fricative.before the fricative.

Coalescence of gesturesCoalescence of gestures

‘ ‘a sense of humour’a sense of humour’

// s senens s v hjumv hjum/ => [/ => [sẽssẽsumum]]

glottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricativeglottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricative

Turbulent noise (frication) at the glottis is Turbulent noise (frication) at the glottis is replaced by turbulence at the palatal place replaced by turbulence at the palatal place of articulation as the tongue body moves of articulation as the tongue body moves to produce a constriction gesture for /j/.to produce a constriction gesture for /j/.

Coalescence of gesturesCoalescence of gestures

‘ ‘a sense of humour’a sense of humour’

// s senens s v hjumv hjum/ => [/ => [sẽssẽsumum]]

glottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricativeglottal fricative + palatal glide => palatal fricative

The voiceless palatal fricative The voiceless palatal fricative [[]] is not an is not an English phoneme, but all kinds of sounds English phoneme, but all kinds of sounds are possible in speech as a result of are possible in speech as a result of application of connected speech processes.application of connected speech processes.

Narrow phonetic Narrow phonetic transcriptiontranscription

Captures these details of articulation.Captures these details of articulation. Listeners are generally unaware of this level Listeners are generally unaware of this level

of phonetic detail. We tend to listen to speech of phonetic detail. We tend to listen to speech at the phonemic level, hearing the linguistic at the phonemic level, hearing the linguistic targets that the speaker intended to produce.targets that the speaker intended to produce.

Part of one’s tacit knowledge of the sound Part of one’s tacit knowledge of the sound pattern of one’s native language is being able pattern of one’s native language is being able to infer the phonemic targets from their to infer the phonemic targets from their imperfect phonetic realization in casual imperfect phonetic realization in casual speech.speech.

Connected speech Connected speech processesprocesses

Form the basis of Form the basis of phonological rulesphonological rules of the of the language.language.

A phonological rule: a particular kind of A phonological rule: a particular kind of assimilation or coarticulation effect that assimilation or coarticulation effect that has become a ‘habit of speaking’ by native has become a ‘habit of speaking’ by native speakers of the language.speakers of the language.

Most phonological rules are obligatory Most phonological rules are obligatory ‘rules of speaking’ that apply regardless of ‘rules of speaking’ that apply regardless of the speech style.the speech style.

Connected speech processes, on the other Connected speech processes, on the other hand, are speech style sensitive.hand, are speech style sensitive.

A phonological rule: regular plural A phonological rule: regular plural formation in Englishformation in English

CatCat catscats /k/kts/ts/

FlyFly fliesflies /fla/flaz/z/DogDog dogsdogs /d/dgz/gz/

LionLion lionslions /la/lanznz//AntelopeAntelope antelopesantelopes //ntntlolops/ps/

SlipperSlipperslippersslippers /sl/slppz/z/ Formulate a rule for predicting the phonetic Formulate a rule for predicting the phonetic

form of the plural for these words.form of the plural for these words. What kind of assimilation is indicated here?What kind of assimilation is indicated here? Why call this a ‘phonological rule’ rather Why call this a ‘phonological rule’ rather

than a ‘connected speech process’?than a ‘connected speech process’?

Clear speechClear speech

Is promoted by suppression of Is promoted by suppression of coarticulation effects. However this coarticulation effects. However this requires more effort on the part of the requires more effort on the part of the speaker.speaker.

In casual speaking style there is less In casual speaking style there is less suppression of coarticulation effects.suppression of coarticulation effects.

Casual speech style favours ease of Casual speech style favours ease of articulation.articulation.

Formal or careful speaking style favours Formal or careful speaking style favours the needs of the listener.the needs of the listener.

Casual speech has a higher incidence of Casual speech has a higher incidence of connected speech processes and is therfore connected speech processes and is therfore

more difficult to understand.more difficult to understand.

Vowel reductionVowel reduction Place Assimilation Place Assimilation Vowel deletionVowel deletion Consonant deletionConsonant deletion Vowel simplification Vowel simplification

(monophthongization)(monophthongization)

These processes are part These processes are part of the phonology of the phonology (sound pattern) of (sound pattern) of English.English.

Connected speech processes interact Connected speech processes interact with one another in complex ways.with one another in complex ways.

CSPs are constrained alsoCSPs are constrained also

In language and dialect specific ways:In language and dialect specific ways:

Durham English has a regressive Durham English has a regressive voicing assimilation rule that operates voicing assimilation rule that operates across word boundaries (across word boundaries (likelike [g] [g] bairns, likebairns, like [g] [g] me, thisme, this [z] [z] village, village, whats whats [dz] [dz] gone in mangone in man), not found in ), not found in other regional varieties of English other regional varieties of English (Kerswill, 1987)(Kerswill, 1987)

SummarySummary

Speech involves the co-ordination of Speech involves the co-ordination of articulatory articulatory gesturesgestures in time. in time.

Casual and vernacular speech involve Casual and vernacular speech involve coarticulation effectscoarticulation effects and connected and connected speech processes (speech processes (CSPsCSPs), which serve the ), which serve the interests of the speaker.interests of the speaker.

Formal or clear speech involves Formal or clear speech involves suppression of CSPs and coarticulation suppression of CSPs and coarticulation effects in the interests of the listener.effects in the interests of the listener.

CSPs form the basis of CSPs form the basis of phonological rulesphonological rules.. Phonological rules represent habitualized Phonological rules represent habitualized

ways that sounds interact in a given ways that sounds interact in a given language.language.

CSPs are, to a degree, also language or CSPs are, to a degree, also language or dialect specific in their operation.dialect specific in their operation.