Phonology

From UniLang Wiki

Phonology is concerned with the study of how languages structure and pattern sounds to convey linguistic information. It is, then, a branch of linguistics which has very close links with phonetics. Phonology deals with the ways sounds are used contrastively - for instance, to distinguish different words - in a given language; sounds may be analyzed into contrastive units such as phonemes, and classified according to their properties by means of distinctive features; phonology is also concerned with the processes affecting units of sound and with their organisation in larger structures such as the syllable.

Contents 1 Elements of study 1.1 Segments 1.2 Features 1.3 Combinations and Structures 1.4 Relationships

Elements of study

The structural approach:

Segments

• Phonemes
  
• Allophones
  
• Complementary and contrastive distribution
  

Features

• Distinctive features
  
• Elements
  

Combinations and Structures

• Phonotactics
  
• Syllables
  
• Feet
  
• Words
  

Relationships

• Phonological processes
  
• Assimilation
  
• Sandhi
  
• Harmony
  
• Reduction
  
• Neutralisation
  

(taken from a forum post)

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