The Formalization of Phonological Rules

All of the example of phonological rules we have considered have

been stated in words. That is, we have not used any special “formal
device” or “formal notations.” We could have stated the rules using
special symbols which would make the rules look more like
“mathematical” formulas.

A number of such notational devices are used as part of the theory

of phonology. They do more than merely save paper or abbreviate long
statements. They provide a way to express the generalizations of the
language which may be obscured otherwise.

For example, we used our + and – feature value notation in the rule
which nasalize vowels before nasal consonant, it could be stated as:

(10)+vocalic-consonant becomes +nasal before a [+nasal]

This clearly shows that just one feature is changed and that is an
assimilatory rule. Suppose we wished to write a rule which nasalized a
vowel before, and only before, a /p/. By stating this without features, we
could say: Nasalize a vowel before a /p/. This seems to be a simple and
general a rule as the nasalization rule. Yet it just a strange and highly
unlikely rule. To state this rule with features, we should have to write:

(11)+vocalic-consonantal becomes +nasal before a +consonantal-

vocalic+labial-voiced-continuant

Rule (11) is more complex and that the features mentioned have
nothing in common. Rule (10) seems like a “natural” rule and Rule (11)
does not. But that is exactly what we want to reveal. Without the use of
features the difference between the two rules is hidden. The use of such
feature notation to represent phonemes is then part of the theory of
phonology. The formal notation is not used merely because it is somehow
more “elegant” but because it better represents what we know about
phonological rules.
 Instead of writing “becomes” or “occurs”, we can use an arrow, 
, to show that the segment on the left of the arrow is or becomes
whatever is on the right of the arrow:

(12) +vocalic-consonantal → +nasal before a [+nasal]

The phonological environment, or context, is also important to

specify in a rule. In many languages vowels are nasalized before but not
after a nasal. We can formulize the notions of “environment” or “in the
environment” and the notions of “before” and “after” by the following
notations:

a slash, / , to mean “in the environment of”

a dash, -, placed before or after the segment(s) which determine the

change

Using these notations we can write the above rule:

(13) +vocalic-consonantal→+nasal / - [+nasal]

This rule reads: “A vowel (that is segment which is specified as vocalic

and nonconsonantal) becomes () nasalized in the environment (/) before
(-) a nasal segment. If we write the rule as:

(14) +vocalic-consonantal→+nasal / +nasal-

It reads: “A vowel becomes nasalized in the environment after a nasal.”

The fact that the dash follows the [+nasal] shows that a vowel which
come after it is changed. The segment to be changed by the rules occurs
at the beginning or end of a word. We can use a double cross, #, to signify
a word boundary.

(15) +vocalic-consonantal →+aspirated/ #- -consonantal+vocalic+stressed

A voiceless stop (a segment that is [-continuant] and [-voiced]) becomes

() aspirated in the environment (/) after a word boundary (#-) (that is, at
the beginning of a word) before a stressed vowel (a segment that is [-
consonantal] and [+vocalic] and [+stressed].”

The rule which velarizes an /l/ in English must state all the
environments where this occurs: before back vowels, before low front
vowels, at the end of a word. We can state this formally as:

(16a) +lateral →+velarized / - +vocalic-consonantal+back

(16b) +lateral →+velarized / - +vocalic-consonantal+low

(16c) +lateral →+velarized / - ⋕

To collapse (or combine) two or more rules which have identical parts we
can use another devices, braces { }, and can collapse Rules (16a),
(16b), (16c) into Rule (16d).

(16d) +lateral →+velarized / - +vocalic-consonantal+back+vocalic-

consonantal+low

The complementary distribution between velarized and nonvelarized

l’s could be revealed in the grammar by positing a phoneme which has
the future [+velarized]. We would then need a rule to delete this feature
before front vowels:

(17) +lateral →+velarized / - -consonantal+vocalic-back

This rule is a much simpler rule than (16d) and seems to be more
“natural”. Instead of the feature [±velarized], we could specify the
velaized l as [+back]. The statement would then clearly reveal it as an
assimilation rule.

(18) +lateral →-back / - -consonantal+vocalic-back

(19) -consonantal+vocalic →+long / - -consonantal+vocalic-back

Read: “A vowel becomes long in the environments before either a

voiced consonant or at the end of a word (before word boundary).”
Suppose there was a rule in some language to shorten a vowel when the
vowel occurs before three consonants or two consonants. We could write
this:

(20) +vocalic-consonantal→+long/ - -vocalic+consonantal-

vocalic+consonantal-vocalic+consonantal-vocalic+consonantal-
vocalic+consonantal

If we use V for vowels and C for consonants, this can be written as:

(21) V →+long/ - CCCCC

This rule gives us the result we want; by using braces we have

collapsed two rules, both of which apply to vowels and both of which
shorten the vowels. To collapse rules, use parentheses, ( ), around an
“optional” segment or segments.

(21) V →+long/ - CC (C)

Reads: “A vowel is shortened in the environment before three

consonants or before two consonants”. The importance of formal devices
like feature notations, arrows, slashes, dashes, and parentheses is that
they enable us to express linguistic generalizations. Since the grammar
that linguists write for any particular language aims to express in the most
general fashion a speaker’s linguistic competence, the notations which
permit them to do this are part of the theory of phonology.
 English Phonology Report

Sequences of Phonemes

Healfian Azmir (0905113854)

Mella Risa (0905120765)

Reza Novia (0905121049)

Vivi Wulandari (0905120717)

Riska FItriani (0905120 )

Riau University
Faculty of Teachers Training
and Education
English Department