Introduction to Phonology: Sounds, Syllables, and Stress
Introduction to Phonology
The Phoneme
The phoneme is the fundamental unit of phonology. It represents the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language. Contrasting pairs like seat and sheet are known as minimal pairs and are identified through the commutation test: if substituting one sound for another creates a different word, those sounds are phonemes.
Allophones
Sounds that are similar but don’t contrast meaning within a language are called allophones. They are the actual pronunciations
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Characters
Primary
Bantu Stephen Biko
A black political leader who sought to unite black and white South Africans. He was married to Ntsiki and had two children. As a banned person, he was confined to his banning area and could only speak to one person outside his family. He is portrayed as a dramatic (seen in action when avoiding the law), round (we see multiple facets of his character), static (his belief in black consciousness remained steadfast), and protagonist (he inspires Donald to fight for
Read MoreEnglish Phonology: A Comprehensive Guide to Sounds and Stress
The Phoneme
The phoneme is the basic unit of phonology. It’s the smallest contrastive unit that distinguishes meaning. Contrasting pairs like seat and sheet are called minimal pairs and are established by the commutation test: if by substituting one sound segment for another, a different word is produced, then those segments are phonemes.
The Allophone
Similar sounds which are not contrastive in a language are called allophones. They are concrete realizations of phonemes; non-contrastive and contextually
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The Sphinx Without a Secret
Questions and Answers
- What was the relationship between Lord Murchison and the narrator?
They had been friends at Oxford 10 years before.
What was the relationship between Lord Murchison and Lady Alroy?They had secret meetings. He sent her letters and was in love with her.
Did Lord Murchison leave her?Yes, he did. He went to Norway.
What happened to her?She died of pneumonia.
Why did she rent the room according to the narrator?For the pleasure of going there secretly. She
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Cigarettes and Plain Packaging
Why Should Cigarettes Be Sold in Plain Packets?
Cigarettes are not like candy. Colorful packaging makes them more appealing to children. By requiring plain packaging, we aim to discourage smoking and make it clear that it is not a desirable lifestyle.
The Goal of Reducing Smoking
The ultimate goal is to reach a point where cigarettes have no place in our society. They are full of toxins and cause fatal diseases, and plain packaging helps emphasize this fact.
Key Concepts
- Ban
- Appealing
- Plain
- Requiring
Character Traits & Behaviors: A Comprehensive Guide
Appearance: Sporty, Cute, Untidy (dirty, unclean), Sloppy (lacking neatness or order), Well-groomed (having tasteful clothing and being scrupulously neat), Slim (being of delicate or slender build), Plain (simple), Fit (physically and mentally sound or healthy), Heavy Make-up, Freckles, Drawn (tense), Grey, Wrinkled, Stooped, Upright, Unsteady, Exhausted, Weak, Rough, Engrossed in, Crossed the Line, Compulsion, Posting, Seductive (sexy, provocative), Going Cold Turkey (to stop doing something without
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