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Юриспунденкция

LECTURE UNSTRESSED VOCALISM

Brainstorming questions

1Can you name three ways of

The English vowels occurring in unstressed syllables form a definite system. They may be pronounced in three different ways:

(1)A vowel of full formation may be used in an unstressed syllable;

(2)A semi-weak vowel may be used in an unstressed syllable;

(3)An unstressed vowel may undergo different types of reduction.

The English language is characterized by a specific way of uttering unstressed syllables which is not typical of Russian. Practically any vowel of full formation may be used in unstressed. syllables, as in the case of:

/ ni:s - 'grænnit:s / (niece - grand-niece);

/ fit - 'benifit/ (fit - benefit);

/ sekt - 'insekt / (sect - insect);

/ græm - ' kilәgræm / (gramme - kilogramme);

/a:t - as'tistik / (art - artistic);

/ pot - 'ti:pt/ (pot - teapot);

/ b:d - 'b1кæb:d / (board - blackboard);

/ ful - 'spu:nful / (full - spoonful);

/ kju: - kju:teinjәs / (queue - cutaneous);

/ naun - 'prounaun / (noun - pronoun);

/ fould - 'siksfould / (fold - sixfold); etc.

Such vowels of full formation are used in all styles of pronunciation. Their substitution by a reduced vowel is incorrect.

A semi-weak vowel may be used in an unstressed syllable as well.

I.Ward defines a semi-weak vowel as "a vowel that lies in an intermediate position between the strong vowels and the neutral ә ". ^{^[3]}) She gives / о / as an example for it, as in:

/ ou'bei - obei - әbei / (obey);

/ nou’vembә- no'vembә- nә'vembә / (November);

/ prou’test - pro'test – prәtest / (protest).

The unstressed vowels in the first column are of full formation; in the second the vowels are semi-weak; in the third are reduced to the neutral vowel /ә/.

I.Ward's definition of a semi-weak vowel seems to be incomplete. Prof.V.A.Vassilyev's definition of a semi-weak vowel runs as follows: " ... a semi-weak vowel may, therefore, be defined as a partially reduced vowel which is used in a more careful style of pronunciation instead of the neutral vowel used in the rapid colloquial style and instead of the corresponding vowel of full formation used in the full style". ^

G.P.Toreuyev regards semi-weak vowels as products of partial reduction. Here are some more examples of semi-weak vowels:

/ ou'mi∫әn - o'mi∫n - әmi∫n / (omission)

/ 'inouveit - 'inoveit - 'inәveit / (innovate);

/ interou'gei∫әn - lntero'gei∫n – interә'gel∫n / (interrogation)

/ voukælik - vo'kælik – vәkælik / (vocalic);

/ mein'tein - mentein – mәn'tein / (maintain);

/ ₍hmoud|i:njәs - ₍hmo'di:njәs – hmә'di:mjәs/ (homogeneous); etc.

A vowel in an unstressed syllable is most commonly reduced. Vowel reduction is a characteristic feature of English, Russian and some other languages. A vowel in an unstressed syllable becomes shorter, weaker and less distinct.

There are three degrees of reduction in English:

quantitative,

qualitative, and

zero.

In quantitative reduction it is the length of a vowel which is reduced, as in:

Strong forms Quantitatively reduced forms

Were

Your

For

to
In qualitative reduction the quality of a sound is changed, as in the following:

Strong forms Qualitatively reduced forms

Were

For

And

Them

Zero reduction consists in dropping out a vowel or a consonant, as in the case of:

Strong forms Reduced forms with zero reduction

Shall

Him

And

From

would

Reduction la one of the phonetic changes taking place inthe historical development of a language.

The moat important role in the system of unstressedvocalism in English is played by the neutral vowel phoneme / ә /, which has a number of allophones.

Vowels in stressed position usually alternate with vowels in unstressed position. Such alternation between stressed and un-streesed vowels is called vowel gradation. There are several types of vowel gradation in English. They are:

(1)Any English vowel of full formation in a stressed position may alternate with the neutral vowel:

/ 3i: - Ьь/ (-;he);

/ Эет - 6am / (them);

/ aend ■• эг.Л / (and);

I J^1rd " J^ad/ sho..ld);

/ лр - a'pon / up - upon);

/ tui - ta / ( o)i

/ "prougres - iiri'gieslv / tpvogreae - prc»isseiv>.);

/ ta'woid - "fo wad / (toward - forward), etc.

(2)The stressed /is/ alternates with the unstressed /i/i

/ ripiit - ^epi'tijn / (repeat - repetition)!

/ kam'pitt - jk.impi'tijn / (compete - competition)j

/ is'titm — "essimabl / (esteem - estimable)} etc.

(3)The stressed /в/ alternates with the unstressed /1/t

/ ik'sel - 'eke slant / (excel - excellent))

/ ri'visl - reviieijn / (reveal - revelation)}

/ invelap - •enviloup / (envelop - envelope)}

/ pripЈa - ^rops'reijn / (prepare - preparation))

/ ri'sait - ^eui'teijn / (recite - recitation);

/ dl'faln - 'definit / (define - definite); etc.

(4) The stressed /ei/ sometimes alternates with the unstressed /i/:

/ дз1 -'fraidl / (cay - ?riday);

/ del - 'halsdi / (t.ay - holiday);

/ del - 'wenzdi / (day - Wednesday); etc.

Though the neutral vowel sound is short and indistinct it is capable of forming minimal pairs thus differentia'.in^ one word from another. The most сommon opposition is / ә - i /, though ./ә - ou / is also possible. For instance:

/ 'houlә - 'houli / (holer - holey);

/ әk'sept - iksept / (accept - ex pt);

/ ‘sli:pә - 'slis:pi / (sleeper - sleepy);

/ "a:mә - 'а:mi / (armour - army);

/ 'smoukә - 'smouki / (smoker - smoky);

/ 'ofisәz - 'fisiz / (officers - offices);

/ ' dri:mә - • dri:mi / (dreamer - dreamy);

/ ' tempә - 'tempou / (temper - tempo);

/ 'soulә - 'soulou / (solar - solo);

/ 'a:t∫әz - "a:t∫iz / (archers - arches);

/ 'ti:t∫әz - ' tі:t∫iz / (teachers - teaches);

/ ¹ bent∫әz - 'bent∫iz / (benchers - benches);

/ vәkei∫n – vou’kei∫n / (vacation - vocation);

/ ә'fekt - f'fekt / {affect - effect); etc.

Читайте також:

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Syllables(syllobographs)	\|	THE PHONETIC STRUCTURE OP THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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