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Syntax: Subordinate Clauses

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There are two types of subordinate or dependent clauses discussed in this brief tutorial: those headed by an adverbial subordinate conjunction and those headed by a relative pronoun (adjectival subordinate conjunction).  Adverbial subordinate clauses modify, or give information about the verb in the main clause.  Adjectival subordinate clauses modify a noun in the main clause. Subordinate … [Read more...]

Morphological Typology

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Morphological Typology Languages can be classified into groups based on a number of different linguistic criteria. One such way to categorize languages is by the type and extent of morphology that they use. For example, some languages string many morphemes together while others languages tend to realize most words as independent or mono-morphemic segments. The latter type of language is … [Read more...]

Vowel Features

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Vowels Vowel features describe the height of the tongue in the oral cavity (high, mid, low), the part of the tongue (front, central, back), the degree of tension in the tongue and lips (tense/lax), which is sometimes correlated with the position of the root of the tongue (advanced tongue root - ATR) and (retracted tongue root - RTR), and the position of the lips (+/- round). high: the … [Read more...]

Aspiration in Standard American English

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Aspiration Aspiration is a secondary feature on specified obstruents, based on the language of use. The release of these obstruents is accompanied by a burst of air, which delays the onset of the vowel. This is referred to as ‘voice onset time' (VOT). In languages such as Salasaka Quichua, an aspirated /ph/ as opposed to an unaspirated /p/ can change the meaning of the word. (1) [pakak] … [Read more...]

Syntax: The Case Filter

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Every language must adhere to universal principles as well as language-specific parameters, in all areas of its grammar.  In the study of syntax, we learn that: phrases are built as hierarchical structures that consist of a head and all its constituents, i.e., modifiers, complements, etc. language-specific phrase structure rules stipulate a. the constituents that are permitted in a … [Read more...]

A Few Thoughts on How Humans are Wired to do Language: Innateness Hypothesis and Poverty of the Stimulus

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Innateness Hypothesis Consider the fact that any neurologically normal child born in any part of the world can learn any language natively.  Many learn two or three languages simultaneously. In fact, studies have shown that infants are born with the ability to distinguish between all of the different sounds of any language.  For example, infants of any linguistic background can recognize the … [Read more...]

Phonology: Minimal Pairs Tutorial

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What are minimal pairs? Minimal pairs are two words (a pair) that are identical in all sounds but one.   We use them to show which phonemes are distinct, or contrastive in a language. Distinct phonemes are those of which a speaker is aware. We know that two sounds are distinct from each other if, when the sounds are exchanged, meaning changes. This applies to both consonants and … [Read more...]