Lingg 201 - Phonology Exercises

Answer the following exercises. Provide solutions.

Phonetic Environments:
[p] [b]
# ____________ a a ____________ a
a ____________ # a ____________ e
s ____________ i a ____________ i
i ____________ i
i ____________ a

Note: There are no similar environments in all three phones, forming no minimal pairs.

Complementary Distribution:
a) [p] occurs elsewhere:
e.g. [pahki], [ni:sosa:p], [ta:nispi:]
b) [b] occurs after an unrounded vowel:
e.g. [asaba:p], [nibimohta:n], [si:si:bak]

Conclusion:
/p/ -> [p] / elsewhere;
/p/ -> [b] / after unrounded vowels
Both are allophones of the same phoneme.
Environments:
[p] [f]
# ____________ Ɛ # ____________ f
# ____________ o Ɛ ____________ Ɛ
# ____________ i Ɛ ____________ #
# ____________ a a ____________ Ɛ
š ____________ a

Note: There are no similar environments in all three phones, forming no minimal pairs.

Complementary Distribution:
a) [p] occurs in front of a vowel:
e.g. [pƐ], [pol], [pil]
b) [f] occurs elsewhere:
e.g. [sƐfer], [kƐsƐf], [yafƐ]

Conclusion:
/f/ -> [p] / in front of the vowel
/f/ -> [f] / elsewhere
Both are allophones of the same phoneme.
Environments:
[u] [U ]
k ____________ l b ____________ z
t ____________ h ǰ ____________ k
# ____________ ǰ b ____________ l
# ____________ a d ____________ n
m ____________ h k ____________ r
b ____________ #
s ____________ #
s ____________ č
l ____________ #

Note: There are no similar environments in all three phones, forming no minimal pairs.

Complementary Distribution:
a) [u] occurs after voiceless consonants or at the beginning of the word:
e.g. [kulak], [tuhaf], [uzak]
b) [U] occurs elsewhere:
e.g. [odUn], [bU], [sU]

Conclusion:
/U/ -> [u] / after voiceless consonants or at the beginning of the word
/U/ -> [U] / elsewhere
Both are allophones of the same phoneme.
Environments:
[t] [c] [č]
# ____________ a # ____________ u # ____________ i
# ____________ e
# ____________ o

Note: There are no similar environments in all three phones, forming no minimal pairs.

Complementary Distribution:
a) [t] occurs before vowels or at the beginning of a word:
e.g. [tambo], [te], [to]
b) [c] occurs elsewhere:
e.g. [macu], [curi], [kucu]
c) [č] occurs in front of [i]:
e.g. [či], [čikara], [čizu]

Conclusion:
/c/ -> [t] / occurs before vowels
/c/ -> [c] / elsewhere
/c/ -> [č] / in front of [i]
All three are allophones of the same phoneme.
Environments:
[ɣ] [g]
a ____________ ɘ # ____________ Ɛ
u ____________ ɘ i ____________ ɘ
# ____________ ɘ r ____________ ɘ
ö ____________ ɘ
e ____________ ɘ
# ____________ ɪ
# ____________ a
ŋ ____________ Ɛ
ŋ ____________ a
ɪ ____________ n
# ____________ r

Note: There are no similar environments in all three phones, forming no minimal pairs.

Complementary Distribution:
a) [ɣ] occurs before a mid central vowel [ɘ]:
e.g. [va:ɣɘn], [ta:ɣɘ], [na:ɣɘn]
b) [g] occurs elsewhere:
e.g. [zi:gɘn], [bƐrga], [re:gɘn]

Conclusion:
/g/ -> [ɣ] / before a mid central vowel [ɘ]
/g/ -> [g] / elsewhere
Both are allophones of the same phoneme.