Lecture 5 Typology of Sound Systems of comparative

Lecture 5 Typology of Sound Systems of comparative languages. Methods of the typological analyses

In the linguistic literature phoneme is defined as the smallest distinctive unit. Unlike the other bigger units of language as morpheme and word it doesn’t have its meaning but helps us to distinct the meanings of words and morphemes. Comp. boy-toy, better-letter-latter-litter-later; gehen-sehen, lehren-kehren; стол-стул, ходит-ходим, etc.

When we talk about the sounds of a language, the term "sound" can be interpreted in two rather different ways. In the first place, we can say that [t] and [d] are two different sounds in English, [t] being fortis and [d] being lenis and we can illustrate this by showing how they contrast with each other to make a difference of mean­ing in a large number of pairs, such as tie — die, seat — seed, etc.

The truly materialistic-view of the phoneme was originated by the Soviet linguist L.V. Shcherba. According to L.V. Shcherba the phoneme may be viewed as a functional, material and ab­stract unit. These three aspects of the phoneme are concentrated in the definition of the phoneme suggested by V.A.Vassilyev, who looks upon the phoneme as "...a dialectical unity of these aspects because they determine one another and are thus inter­dependent"

V.A.Vassilyev defined the phoneme like this: "The segmental phoneme is the smallest (i.e. further indivisi­ble into smaller consecutive segments) language unit (sound 1 type) that exists in the speech of all the members of a given language community as such speech sounds which are capable of distinguishing one word of the same language or one grammatical form of a word from another grammatical form of the same i word"

Let us consider the phoneme from the point of view of its three aspects. Firstly, the phoneme is a functional unit. As you know from the above in phonetics function is usually under­stood to mean discriminatory function, that is, the role of the various components of the phonetic system of the language in distinguishing one morpheme from another, one word from an­other or also one utterance from another.

Linguistic typology compares languages to classify them by their features. Its ultimate aim is to understand the universals that govern language, and the range of types found in the world's languages is respect of any particular feature (word order or vowel system, for example). The opposition of phonemes in the same phonetic environ­ment differentiates the meaning of morphemes and words, e.g. said — says, sleeper — sleepy, bath — path, light — like.

The phoneme is material, real and objective. That means that it is realized in speech of all English-speaking people in the form of speech sounds, its allophones. The sets of speech sounds, that is the allophones belonging to the same phoneme are not identical in their articulatory content though there re­mains some phonetic similarity between them.

Contact linguistics examines the linguistic results of contact between the speakers of different languages, particularly as evidenced in loan words. An empirical study of loans is by definition historical in focus and therefore forms part of the subject matter of historical linguistics.

Methods of the typological analyses One of the basic purposes of activity of the person is the knowledge of properties and laws of the nature surrounding us and people living around of us. Usually such knowledge received as a result of daily experience, does not carry system character, it occurs off and on and thereof does not carry scientific character as thus the system of knowledge is not created.

The method of knowledge of the given phenomenon represents some sum of scientific positions and cleanly practical receptions owing to which use we have an opportunity better, more full and versatile to study the given phenomenon.

Language represents rather complex and besides the multiplane public phenomenon. It has многоярусную structure in which each circle, or as speak, a level, - phonologic, morphological, syntactic is more often, lexical - develops of special units which research demands development of the, special system of receptions.

Various conditions of language during its development have created favourable circumstances for occurrence specially-linguistic, scientifically very exact and convincing by the results of the comparative-historical method, played so important role in development of a science about language.