Accidental gap
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
an accidental gap, also known as a gap or a hole in the pattern, is a word or other form that does not exist in some language but which would be expected to exist given the grammatical rules
of the language. For example, in English
a noun
may be formed by adding the suffix
-al to a verb
(e.g. recite → recital; arrive → arrival), yet there is no English word describal related to the verb describe. Although theoretically such a word could exist, it does not; its absence is therefore an accidental gap.
Various types of accidental gaps exist. Phonological gaps are either words allowed by the phonological system
of a language which do not actually exist, or sound contrasts missing from one paradigm
of the phonological system itself. Morphological gaps are non-existent words predicted by the morphological system
, such as describal mentioned above. A semantic gap refers to the non-existence of a word to describe a difference in meaning
seen in other sets of words within the language.
/bl/ is allowed at the beginning of words such as blind or blister and the syllable rime
/ɪk/ occurs in words such as sick or flicker. Even so, there is no English word pronounced }. Although this potential word is phonologically well-formed, it happens not to exist.
The term "phonological gap" is also used to refer to the absence of a phonemic contrast
in part of the phonological system. For example, Thai
has several sets of stop consonant
s that differ in terms of voicing
(whether or not the vocal cords vibrate) and aspiration
(whether a puff of air is released). Yet there is no voiced velar consonant
(/ɡ/). This lack of an expected distinction is commonly called a "hole in the pattern".
es. For example, in English a deverbal noun
can be formed by adding either the suffix -al or -tion to a verb. Some nouns of this pattern simply do not exist, even though there is no grammatical reason for them not to.
a gap may be noted when a particular meaning distinction visible elsewhere in the lexicon
is absent. For example, English words describing family members generally show gender
distinction. Yet the English word cousin can refer to either a male or female cousin. The separate words predicted on the basis of this semantic contrast are absent from the language.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
an accidental gap, also known as a gap or a hole in the pattern, is a word or other form that does not exist in some language but which would be expected to exist given the grammatical rules
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
of the language. For example, in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
a noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
may be formed by adding the suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
-al to a verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
(e.g. recite → recital; arrive → arrival), yet there is no English word describal related to the verb describe. Although theoretically such a word could exist, it does not; its absence is therefore an accidental gap.
Various types of accidental gaps exist. Phonological gaps are either words allowed by the phonological system
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
of a language which do not actually exist, or sound contrasts missing from one paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
of the phonological system itself. Morphological gaps are non-existent words predicted by the morphological system
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
, such as describal mentioned above. A semantic gap refers to the non-existence of a word to describe a difference in meaning
Meaning (linguistics)
In linguistics, meaning is what is expressed by the writer or speaker, and what is conveyed to the reader or listener, provided that they talk about the same thing . In other words if the object and the name of the object and the concepts in their head are the same...
seen in other sets of words within the language.
Phonological gaps
Often words that are allowed in the phonological system of a language are absent. For example, in English the consonant clusterConsonant cluster
In linguistics, a consonant cluster is a group of consonants which have no intervening vowel. In English, for example, the groups and are consonant clusters in the word splits....
/bl/ is allowed at the beginning of words such as blind or blister and the syllable rime
Syllable rime
In the study of phonology in linguistics, the rime or rhyme of a syllable consists of a nucleus and an optional coda. It is the part of the syllable used in poetic rhyme, and the part that is lengthened or stressed when a person elongates or stresses a word in speech.The rime is usually the...
/ɪk/ occurs in words such as sick or flicker. Even so, there is no English word pronounced }. Although this potential word is phonologically well-formed, it happens not to exist.
The term "phonological gap" is also used to refer to the absence of a phonemic contrast
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
in part of the phonological system. For example, Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
has several sets of stop consonant
Stop consonant
In phonetics, a plosive, also known as an occlusive or an oral stop, is a stop consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases. The occlusion may be done with the tongue , lips , and &...
s that differ in terms of voicing
Voice (phonetics)
Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless or voiced. The term, however, is used to refer to two separate concepts. Voicing can refer to the articulatory process in which the vocal cords vibrate...
(whether or not the vocal cords vibrate) and aspiration
Aspiration (phonetics)
In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. To feel or see the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, one can put a hand or a lit candle in front of one's mouth, and say pin ...
(whether a puff of air is released). Yet there is no voiced velar consonant
Velar consonant
Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum)....
(/ɡ/). This lack of an expected distinction is commonly called a "hole in the pattern".
| plain voiceless | aspirated voiceless | voiced consonant |
|---|---|---|
| p | pʰ | b |
| t | tʰ | d |
| k | kʰ |
Morphological gaps
A morphological gap is the absence of a word that could exist given the morphological rules of a language, including its affixAffix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
es. For example, in English a deverbal noun
Deverbal noun
In grammar, deverbal nouns are nouns derived from verbs or verb phrases; it is a form of nominalization . This can be found in the English language but also in many other languages...
can be formed by adding either the suffix -al or -tion to a verb. Some nouns of this pattern simply do not exist, even though there is no grammatical reason for them not to.
| verb | noun (-al) | noun (-tion) |
|---|---|---|
| recite | recital | recitation |
| propose | proposal | proposition |
| arrive | arrival | |
| refuse | refusal | |
| derive | derivation | |
| describe | description |
Semantic gaps
In semanticsSemantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
a gap may be noted when a particular meaning distinction visible elsewhere in the lexicon
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
is absent. For example, English words describing family members generally show gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
distinction. Yet the English word cousin can refer to either a male or female cousin. The separate words predicted on the basis of this semantic contrast are absent from the language.
| masculine | feminine |
|---|---|
| brother | sister |
| uncle | aunt |
| father | mother |
| cousin | cousin |