When morphemes are clustered or grouped in words than changes in the phonological structures structu res of these words occur. morphophonemic changes. Such changes are called morphophonemic In the process of analysis of these changes, we compare compare the different allomorphs of a given morpheme whereby we call one of them the normal form in comparison to which other forms are variations of the normal form. The normal form is in fact the one that has the widest distribution. What we can do is to compare the allomorphs of a given morpheme and to call one of them the normal form and describe the the others as variations or changes changes from default default value.
“We choose as normal allomorphs which allows us to describe the variation with the least complexity. This mean that the form described as normal will not always be the one which is oldest, or the original from which the others developed, as revealed by historical linguistics. ”(Francis 195, 8: 211) “It results from a difference of point of view between synchronic and historical linguistics. Synchronic linguistics is concerned with formulating the simplest possible description of the existing structure of a language Historical linguistic is concerned with the most accurate description of the changes that have taken place during the history of language.” (Francis 1958: 211)
There are ten types of morphophonemic changes: I. Loss of phonemes II. Addition of phonemes III. Simple consonant change IV. Voicing and devoicing V. Assimilation VI. Dissimilation VII. Synthesis ( Palatalization ) VIII. Change of syllabic vowel IX. Gradation X. Suppletion
This morphophonemic change brings about a loss of one or more phonemes normally present in a morpheme or in its “normal”(most frequent form). The prefix – in may be labelled as the normal allomorph of negative prefixal morpheme -in. This particular allomorph can be found in combination with vowels or the following consonants: t, d, k, g, f, v, s, dz, h .
“Normal “ allomporph examples: inert /ɪ’nɜ:t /intemperate/ɪn’tem.pər.ət/ ;indirect /,ɪn.daɪ’rekt/ incorrect/,ɪn.kər’ekt/ ;ingratitude /ɪn’græt.ɪ.tju:d /; infelicity/,ɪn.f ə’lɪs.ɪ.ti/; invisible /ɪn’v ɪz.ɪ.bl̩ /
But, when the allomorph – in is found preceding morphemes beginning with m, r, l- in majority of cases n, it transforms into i- thus losing the phoneme n. Examples: immoral, irregular, irrational, illegible, illegitimate, innoxious In the following examples the t is lost: aristocrat – aristocracy (the spelling changes) democrat – democracy (the spelling changes) soft – soften /’sɒf.ən/ (the t is lost in speech but not in writing) nest – nestle /’nes.l/ (the t is lost in speech but not in writing) In the following examples, a vowel is lost: enemy /’en.ə.mi/ – enmity /’en.mɪ.ti/ (in speech and writing) – metric /’met.rɪk/(in speech and writing) metre /’mi:.tər/ – chellist /’tʃel.ɪst/ (in speech and writing) chello /’tʃɛləʊ /
This process is opposite of previously mentioned one- it’s about phonemic addition. It’s infrequent in English Examples: solemn/’sɒl.əm/- solemnize /’sɒl.əm.naɪz/ ( the n is added) Comparison paradigm : long- longer- the longest
III Simple consonant change The change of the final consonant It’s frequent in English. deride/dɪ’raɪd / - derisive /dɪ’raɪ.sɪv / extinct/ɪk’stɪŋkt / - extinguish /ɪk'stɪŋ.gwɪʃ / permit/pə’mɪt /-permissive /pə’mɪs.ɪv / commit/kə’mɪt /- commission /kə’mɪ ʃ.ən /
Voicing (or sonorization) and devoicing are changes, whereby a consonants changes its type of voicing from voiceless/p, t, k, f, s/ to voiced ,/b, d, ɡ, v, z/ or vice versa, due to the influence of a phonological element in its phonological environment.
The most common is form of English plural- the default and “generic” [-s] plural ending. Morphophonemic rule states that any [s] before a root-final voiced segment turns it into a voiced counterpart [z], whilst any
[ s ] before a root-final devoiced segment generates a voiceless [s] cat + s > cat [s] dog + s > dog [z]
The process is very common in modern English We can distinguish between so-called partial and complete assimilation. Partial assimilation: prefix assimilated by the initial stem phoneme. Examples: in+ possible= impossible; en+ bitter= embitter ; en+ power= empower in+ perfect= imperfect Analysis: iN (dental)+ P(bilabial plosive)possible=iM(bilabial plosive)possible
Complete assimilation: a complete change of the final prefixal phoneme into a replica of the initial stem phoneme. Examples: in+ regular= irregular; in+ legal= illegal; in +legible= illegible This change is is performed due to the principle of the least effort: evolutionary language pressure towards pronunciation economy in a given phonemic context
However, there is a vast number of prefixal morphemes that are not changed in above manner- they do not undergo assimilation. In + active= inactive; in+ direct= indirect; en + dear= endear; en + throne= enthrone
It’s quite rare change and it can be illustrated only with a difficulty In+nobile= ignoble; ignominious derivates from Latin language
VII Synthesis ( Palataliation) Fusion of two consonants brought together by morpheme combination into a single new morpheme( different from both its constituents)and it is very often in modern English Moist+ure; expose+ure; press+ure The combination of morphemes brings together an alveolar/velar consonat +J: /s/ /ʃ/ action /z/ + j /ʒ/ closure /t/ /ʧ/ / ʃ/ nature,
-Syllabic vowel becomes the carrier of the accent. This type of change is most prominent in strong (irregular) verbs: Teach – thought Sting- stoung Ring- rang It can be found in other domains as well: Clear- clarity Long- lenght Please – plesant Precise- precision
It is very frequent process where we can realise two changes: a stress shift and vowel change.
Examples: courage/’kʌr.ɪdʒ/- courageous /kə’reɪ.dʒəs/ complex/’k ɒm.pleks/- complexity /kəm’plek.sɪ.ti/ symbol/’sɪm.bəl/ /symbolic /sɪm’b ɒl.ɪk/ democrat /’dem.ə.kræt/ /democracy /dɪ’m ɒk.rə.si/ A stress shift occurs first and it is followed by a vowel change
r. ɪ d ʒ / stress on first syllable enabling the Analysis: courage / kʌ short vowel; courageous /k ə re ɪ .d ʒə s/ the stress is shifted onto the second syllable and the short vowel is changed into a schwa ’
’
Phonological similarity is not essential for morpheme membership. Two essential requirements are semantic similarity and complementary distribution. Suppletion is morphophonemic change in which allomorphs that differ rather significantly are in complementary distribution. (Complementary distribution is the mutually exclusive relationship between two phonetically similar segments. It exists when one segment occurs in an environment where the other segment never occurs)
The following table illustrates stem suppletion: Morphological process
Mild examples of Suppletive stem suppletion
Addition of past tense suffix
walk— walked
go— went
Addition of comparative or superlative suffix
big—bigger— biggest
good—better— best
The following table illustrates affix suppletion : Morphological process
Mild examples of Suppletive affix suppletion
Addition of plural suffix
cat—cats
cherub-cherubim ox -oxen
Mild examples are semantically similar- and they show high degree of phonological similarity. In the colons named suppletive steam , the last suffix cannon be described as a mild example, therefore we can only say that it substitutes or replaces the “normal” form to which it is not phonologically similar. Inflection as stem + ed
The only way for describing this change is by suppletion. There are similar examples in many other languages Language
Infinitiv Present e
Future
Catalan
anar
vaig
aniré
French
aller
vais
irai
Italian
andare
vado
andrò
Portuguese
ir
vou
irei
Spanish
ir
voy
iré
The sources of these are 4 different Latin verbs: vadere "to advance“ ire "to go“ ambulare "to walk", or in some cases perhaps ambitare "to go around" (Spanish and Portuguese andar "to walk" have the same source)
Language
Adjective
Etymology
Comparation
Montenegrin
zao
Porto- Slavic*zel
bolji ; najbolji
References: Đorđe Vlahović “An outline of English morphology with elements of lexicology” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphophonology http://linguistics.stanford.edu/resources/ta-manual/complementary-distribution.html
