Theories of syllable formation and division

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Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Dragomanov National Pedagogical University

Institute of foreign philology

English philology department

Report

of Theoretical phonetics

"Theories of syllable formation and division"

Yulia Pozhyvilova

401 En group

Kyiv 2012

Contents

Introduction

1. The syllable as an integral part of the word. Definition of the syllable

2. Main features of syllable formation in English

3. Theories of syllable formation and division

Conclusion

List of references

Introduction

The syllable is a primary basic unit of speech. Being joined with each other, speech sounds serve as structural material, as “bricks” for syllables. A syllable is a sequence of speech sounds joined together to form a solid undividable stable primary speech unit of segmental level.

The central part of a syllable is a pitch or syllabic sound. Pitch sounds are syllable-forming sounds.

The vowel is the main syllable-forming element, but in some languages under some conditions sonorants may also become syllable-forming elements.

Nowadays the syllable is still in a process of investigation and scientists are trying to find out one definition of the syllable, which every one of them will accept.

There are many theories of syllable formation and division. The most known of them are: expiratory theory, sonority theory, theory of muscular tension and energetic theory.

So, the aim of my report is to analyse different syllabic theories and to find out whether they explain all peculiarities of syllable formation and division or no.

Also the tasks of the report are:

1) to analyse the syllable from different points of view;

2) to study main features of syllable formation in English;

3) to consider the theories of syllable formation and division.

1. The syllable as an integral part of the word. Definition of the syllable

The syllable is a universal primary minimal undivided basic phonetic unit of speech. This definition of the syllable is universal for all the syllabic languages. Units of primary perception on sensory level are not speech sounds but syllables. The syllable in perception is a minimal undivided unit over time. The syllable is an integrated and an integrating speech unit. On the one hand it consists of speech sounds; on the other hand it is the base for all the other units of speech. It is creating the segmental speech unit - phonetic word and all the supra-segmental speech units- sense-groups, phrases, subphrasal unities and the speech unit of the highest level - the text.

The syllable may be defined both phonetically and phonologically. Roach states that the syllable is a fundamentally important unit in both phonetics and phonology.

Phonetically (that is, in relation to the way we produce them and the way they sound), syllables are usually described as consisting of a centre which has little or no obstruction to airflow and which sounds comparatively loud.

Looking at the syllables from the phonological point of view is quite different. Here the syllables are studied functionally, namely, methods of syllable division and their formation are investigated.

There is no agreed definition of syllable between linguists.

According to J. Kenyon the syllable is one or more speech sounds, forming a single uninterrupted unit of utterance, which may be a word, or a commonly recognized subdivision of a word.

Crystal defines the syllable as " an element of speech that acts as a unit of rhythm, consisting of a vowel, a syllabic consonant or vowel / + consonant combination". On the other hand, Hancock beliefs that the syllable is often described as a group of one or more sounds with a peak or nucleus.

According to Wells, in Phonetics, the syllable is a group of sounds that are pronounced together.

Sokolova states that the syllable is a speech unit consisting of a sound or a sound sequence one of which is heard to be more prominent than the others.

The syllable can be analysed from the acoustic and auditory, articulatory and functional points of view.

Acoustically and auditorily the syllable is characterized by the force of utterance, or accent, pitch of the voice, sonority and length, that is by prosodic features.

Auditorily the syllable is the smallest unit of perception: the listener identifies the whole of the syllable and only after that the sounds contained.

The articulatory energy which constitutes the syllable results from the combined action of the power, vibrator, resonator and obstructor mechanisms.

The definition of the syllable from the functional point of view tends to single out the following features of the syllable:

a) a syllable is a chain of phonemes of varying length;

b) a syllable is constructed on the basis of contrast of its constituents (which is usually of vowel - consonant type);

c) the nucleus of a syllable is a vowel, the presence of consonants is optional; there are no languages in which vowels are not used as syllable nuclei, however, there are languages in which this function is performed by consonants;

d) the distribution of phonemes in the syllabic structure follows by the rules which are specific enough for a particular language.

2. Main features of syllable formation in English

The most prominent sound being the peak or the nucleus of a syllable is called syllabic. Syllabic sounds are generally vowels and sonorants. The latter become syllabic when joined to a preceding consonant. The sonorants [w, j, r] are not syllabic. A word consisting of only one vowel sound represents a separate syllable, e.g. I [ai]. In case of a diphthong the peak of a syllable is formed by its nucleus. e.g. place [pleis].

Many words in English such as parcel, level, special, person and the like could be pronounced with the neutral vowel before the sonorant, thus making it non-syllabic. In all these words the second prominent sound or the peak is formed by [?].

So if a sonorant is preceded by a vowel sound, it loses its syllabic character and the syllable is formed by the vowel.

3. Theories of syllable formation and division

The first attempt to examine syllables was made before our era by ancient Greeks, who got interested in syllabic structure of utterances in connection with the problems of rhetoric, public speeches and the art of versification.

The first reform of Russian versification - result of scientific investigations in the field of syllabic theory, was published in 1735 (Trediakovsky V.K., Lomonosov M.V.).

For a long time rare investigations of syllable were related to rhetoric and versification. Linguistic investigations of the problems of nature of the syllable, the questions of syllable structure and division of words into syllables were not studied and even neglected.

At the beginning of the 20th century the outstanding representatives of physiological experimental phonetics G. Panconcelli and E.W. Scripture wrote that the syllable was a fiction created by linguists and psychologists, that all the attempts to understand and represent it phonetically were and would remain fruitless (Panconcelli-Caltzia G., 1924).

The same point of view was expressed at that time by E.K. Kyrilovich who stated that the boundaries between the words really exist, but the boundaries between the syllables are a pure scientific obstruction.

Criticizing the points of view on a syllable as a fiction L.R. Zinder has written that the syllable, as a unity with a vowel as its nucleus, is a reality for the speakers (Zinder L.R., 1979).

At the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century the first laboratories of experimental phonetics appeared in France (Rousselot P.) and in Russia (Bandoin de Kourtenau, Shcherba L.V., Artemov V.A., Tomson A.I.).

Syllables began to be studied with the help of electroacoustic devices and apparatuses - electric kymographs, oscillographs, spectrographs, etc. In the 1940s after the World War II new laboratories of experimental phonetics were opened in different cities of the former USSR - Minsk, Kiev, Erevan, Tbilisi, Novosibirsk and others. Besides physiologic investigations of articulation, tension and bioactivity of the muscles participating in producing speech; acoustic peculiarities of speech units were examined, the problems of syllables began to be investigated by scientists in the former USSR and abroad. Various theories of syllable production and the division of words into syllables appeared.

One of the first theories brought up for discussion was the so-called expiratory syllabic theory (Sievers E.). According to expiratory theory each syllable is accompanied by an independent uninterrupted act of exhalation push. The number of syllables and the number of exhalations are equal. At the same time E. Sievers didn't reject the effect of the variations in degree of sonority.

Expiratory theory was often criticized by different scientists. It was mentioned the number of syllables and the number of expiratory pushes may coincide, but not obligatory. Experimental data proved that there were many cases when two or more syllables were pronounced within one act of exhalation.

Rather widespread, especially abroad was sonority theory of syllable production and syllable division. According to this theory the main characteristic feature of the syllable is sonority (Espersen A.). The most sonorous sound in the syllable forms the peak of sonority, while the other sounds in the syllable have minimum of sonority.

The theory of sonority was rather popular as it made it possible to distinguish syllables in a word. But it is to be taken into consideration that the degree of sonority of vowels varies in different positions in the word and this theory does not help to define the boundary between the syllables in a word.

The theory of muscular tension was universally acknowledged and supported by many scientists (Fushe P., Roudet L., Shcherba L.V., Grammont M. and others).

The core of the theory of muscular tension was the affirmation of the leading role of pronouncing effort in the formation of a syllable. This theory was completed and logically set forth by L.V. Shcherba (1948).

According to L.V. Shcherba sounds in connected speech are pronounced with alternative intensification and slackening of muscular tension. Each peak of intensification with the following slackening of tension forms a syllable. Sounds that are pronounced with intensification of muscular tension are termed pitch sounds.

According to L.V. Shcherba an articulatory syllable is an arc of tension. The pitch sound is the centre of the syllable and of the arc of tension. The tension in this arc is gradually increasing from the beginning to the centre of the syllable and then is gradually decreasing to its end.

It was possible to assume that sounds might have different functions in fusing syllables into a solid, complete speech unit and in dividing words into syllables.

The base of the solution of the syllable division problem was the assumption that in defining the boundaries between the syllables in a word it was necessary to pay attention to the structure of initial and final sounds of the syllables.

L.V. Shcherba's concept of the three forms of the syllables helped to solve the problem of syllable division.

According to L.V. Shcherba's concept there exist three forms of the consonants:

a. the strong-end consonants;

b. the strong-beginning consonants;

c. the strong-end/strong-beginning consonants.

At the beginning of initial consonant of a syllable the tension is weak and grows gradually up to its peak at the boundary with the syllabic vowel. Such consonants are called strong-end consonants. In final consonants of a syllable the beginning of a consonant at the boundary with the syllabic vowel is strong and the tension gradually decreases up to the very end of the syllable. Such consonants are called strong-beginning consonants.

At the boundary of two similar sounds a strong-end/strong-beginning or a two-peak consonant appears. The end and the beginning of such consonants are strong, a slackening of tension is observed in the middle of the syllable.

One of the latest theories of syllable formation is the energetic theory. The concept of a syllable as an impulse of energy was taken as a foundation of this theory. N.I. Finkin was one of the first who supported the theory of syllabic energy and defined a syllable as a single portion of energy separated from another portion of energy (Finkin N.I., 1953). The syllable was defined by U.S. Stepanov as a minimal portion of energy.

The energy increases sharply at the beginning of the syllable up to its peaks and then gradually falls to the end of the syllable. Syllables are separated from other syllable by the minimal amount of energy of the end of the preceding syllable and at the very weak beginning of the following syllable.

The energetic syllabic theory is rather widespread and supported by numerous linguists (Aванесов P.И., Topcyeв Г.П., Бондаренко Л.B., Прокопова Л.И., Cкалозуб Л.Г., Багмут A.Й.., Бровченко T.A., Tapанец B.Г.) and many others.

The energetic theory does not deny the theory of muscular tension. There exists a direct connection between the muscle tension of the speech organs in the process of speech and the impulses of the acoustic energy.

The theory of muscular tension was universally acknowledged. The theory of muscular tension and the teaching of the three forms of the consonants were very popular and made it possible to divide the words into syllables in speech.

The theory of syllabic energy solved the problem of the nature of the syllable and was a reliable basis of syllable division. In the second half of the 20th century phonetic experimental investigations applying electronic apparatuses and special computer programmes made it possible to affirm that syllables are created by a complex impulse of acoustic energy - a coordinated action of two acoustic components of intensity and duration, i.e. intensity over time (Бровченко T.A., 1971, 1976).

An increase or a decrease in the volume of the total acoustic energy of the syllable may be achieved by means of:

a. the changes in the intensity of a syllable;

b. the changes in the duration of the syllable;

c. the changes in the two components of the total acoustic energy.

Each peak of intensification of the total acoustic energy, preceded by the increase of energy and followed by its decrease, is a syllable.

The main principle of syllable division is universal and does not differ in different languages. But the rules of syllable division depend upon the phonetic structure of the language and therefore they may vary in different languages.

At present the problems of syllabic theory continue to be elaborated.

Experimental investigations with the help of special computer programmes made it possible to examine the nature of syllables more thoroughly, to reveal the essence of cooperation of duration and.

Articulatory and acoustic characteristics of a syllable ensure its perception in oral speech.

Elaboration of syllabic models with the support of visual and auditory aspect made it possible to control and correct the pronunciation of the learners on the level of syllables.

Elaboration of dynamic models of syllabic structures was necessary for the training of syllables and the succession of syllables with the help of technical means of education.

The syllable was the object of numerous dialect investigations. It was established that dialects are characterized by specific types of connection between the vowel of the syllable and the following consonant.

Conclusion

The syllable is an integrated and an integrating speech unit. On the one hand it consists of speech sounds, on the other hand it is the base for all the other units of speech.

The first attempts to examine syllables were made before our era by Ancient Greeks in connection with their interest in the problems of rhetoric and versification.

Various theories of syllable formation and syllable division exist. One of the first was the expiratory theory, according to which each syllable is accompanied by an uninterrupted act of exhalation (Silvers E.). The experimental considered to be wrong because it was experimentally proved that in many cases two or more syllables were pronounced within one act of exhalation.

Rather spread was sonority theory, according to which the main feature of the syllable is sonority, the stressed syllable forms a peak of sonority (Esperson A.). According to this theory it is difficult to define the boundaries between the syllables.

The theory of muscular tension was completed by L.V. Shcherba, according to whom sounds in connected speech are pronounced with alternative intensification and slackening of muscular tension. Each peak of intensification forms a syllable.

One of the latest theories of syllabic formation is the energetic theory.

According to this theory a syllable was defined as a single portion of energy. The energetic theory does not deny the theory of muscular tension.

There exists a direct connection between the muscle tension of the organs of speech impulses of energy as any nerve and muscular process causes energetic process.

The energetic theory is rather widespread and acknowledged by numerous linguists, but still the nature of the syllable impulse was not quite clear and required further investigations. At present experimental investigations of the nature and structure of the syllable continued with the help of modern acoustic devices and special computer programmes.

List of references

1. Баран В. Fundamentals of Phonetics and Phonology: навчально-методичний посібник з практичної фонетики і фонології: [Електронний ресурс].

2. Бровченко Т.О., Корольова Т.М. Фонетика англійської мови (контрактивний аналіз англійської та української мови): Підручник. - 2-ге вид., переробл. та доп. - Миколаїв: Вид-во МДГУ ім.. Петра Могили, 2006. - 300 с. syllable word language

3. Красса С.И. Полный курс лекций по теоретической фонетике английского язика: [Электронный ресурс].

4. Леонтьева С.Ф. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка: Учеб. для студентов вечер, и заоч. отд-ний педвузов.-2-е изд., испр. и доп.-М.: Высш. шк., 1988.-271 с, ил.

5. Соколова М.А., Гинтовт К.П., Кантер Л.А. и др.. Практическая фонетика английского язика: Учеб. для студ. высш. учеб. заведений. - М.: Гуманит. изд. центр ВЛАДОС, 2001. - 384 с.: ил.

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