Phonetics as a Branch of Linguistics

Lecture I. Phonetics as a Science

1) Phonetics as a branch of linguistics.

2) Branches of phonetics. Aspects of speech sounds.

3) Methods of Investigation.

Phonetics as a Branch of Linguistics

Phonetics began long before there were either grammar or linguistics. Ancient objects, drawings and written documents show that voice and speech always fascinated men. Written documents and evidences form the ancient civilizations point to an awareness of speech, its origin a long time ago.

Here are some data connected with the history of phonetic development:

1829 laryngoscope was invented;

1852 first observations of the vocal cords were made;

1886 International Phonetic Association (IPA) was founded.

IPA started publications of a special phonetic magazine “Le Maitre Phonetique”. It stated phonetic symbols for sounds of many existing languages. For the sounds of the Eng. Language IPA suggested the following broad and narrow transcription symbols:

We are using mainly the broad one:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

i: i e æ a: É É: u u: Λ ∂: ∂ eı ou aı au

17 18 19 20 21

∂ı ı∂ ε∂ É ∂ u∂

In the narrow variant see the following differenses.

ε instead of e o v instead of ou

p instead of É a v instead of au

з instead of ∂

Phonetics is an independent branch of linguistic like lexicology, grammar and stylistics. It studies not only separate sounds but their functions as well. It also studies the relation between written and spoken language. Phonetics is connected with other, nonlinguistic sciences: acoustics, physiology, psychology, etc.

Phonetics is an essential part of language because it gives language a definite form – the vocabulary and grammar of a language can function only when the language has phonetic form. Here, grammar and vocabulary depend on phonetics; they cannot exist outside of phonetics, because all lexical and grammatical phenomena are expressed phonetically. Thus, although phonetics serves as a means of expressing grammar and lexical phenomena, yet it has laws of its own which are independent of grammar and vocabulary. The connection of phonetics with grammar, lexicology and stylistics is exercised first of all via orthography which in its turn is very closely connected with phonetics.

Phonetics formulates the rules of pronunciation of separate sounds and sound combinations. The rules of reading are based on the relation of sounds to or thography and present certain difficulties in learning the English language. The letter a can be pronounced as [æ] – can, [a:] – car, [ε∂ ] care etc.

Through the system of rules of reading phonetics is commented with grammar and helps to pronounce correctly singular and plural forms of nouns, the past tense forms and past participles of English regular verbs: eg. [d] after voiced consonants (begged), t – after voiceless consonants (wished) [ıd] – after t (wanted). It is only if we know that s is pronounced after voiceless consonants, I after voiced and Iz after sibilants, that we can pronounce the words books, bags, boxes correctly.

One of the most important phonetic phenomena – sound interchange – is another manifestation of the connection of phonetics with grammar. For instance, this connection can be observed in the category of number. Thus, the interchange of f – v, s – z, θ - ∂ helps to differentiate singular and plural forms of such nouns as calf – calves, bath – baths, house – houses. Besides, vowel interchange is connected with the tense forms of irregular verbs: sing – sang – sung, write – wrote – written.

Phonetics is also connected with grammar through its intonation component. In affirmative sentences the rising nuclear tone may serve to show that it is an interrogation.

He ‘came home

He ‘came home

Phonetics is also connected with lexicology. It is only due to the presence of stress or accent in the right place, that we can distinguish certain nouns from verbs e.g.

‘abstract – to abstract

object – to object

‘transfer - to transfer

Homographs can be differentiated only due to pronunciation, because they are identical in spelling, e.g.

bow [bou] лук - bow [bau] поклон

lead [li:d] руковд. - lead [led] свинец

row [rou] ряд - row [rau] ссора

tear [tε∂] разрыв - tear [tı∂] слеза

wind [wind] ветер - wind [waınd] виток

Phonetics is also corrected with stylistics first of all through intonation and its components: speech melody, word stress, rhythm, pausation and voice tamber which serve to express emotions, to distinguish between different attitudes on the part of the author and speaker. Very often the writer helps the reader to interpret his ideas through special words and remarks such as: a pause, angrily, hopefully, gently etc.

Phonetics is also connected with stylistics trough repetition of words, phrases and sounds. Repetition of this kind serves the bases of rhythm, rhyme, alliteration.

Regular recurrence of accented elements, or rhythm, may be used as a special device not only in poetry, but in prose as well.

For example, in the extract, given below, the repetition of the word man helps Ch. Dickens to describe his character’s “mental introduction”. Rhythm is achieved through the repetition of parallel constructions, beginning with man.

Onomatopoeia, a combination of sounds which imitate sounds produced in nature, is one more stylistic device which can serve as an example of the connection between phonetics and stylistics.

E.g. tincle, jungle, clink, ting, chink;

crash, cland, bang;

chirp, cheep, twitter, chirrup

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