Feeding order
Encyclopedia
In phonology
and historical linguistics
, if two rules are in feeding order, rule A creates new contexts in which rule B can apply. It would not have been possible for rule B to apply otherwise. If the order of the rules are reversed, they are said to be in counterfeeding order.
For example, if we have two rules, rule A which looks like x -> y and rule B which looks like y -> z, then the following is a feeding order:
while the following is a counterfeeding order:
A good example of feeding can be seen in English
, where preglottalization can be considered as rule B. As a consequence of this rule, all voiceless
plosives which make part of a word-final consonant cluster
are glottalized. This can be seen in the form looked, with the underlying representation
/lʊkt/. It is pronounced [lʊʔkt]. Another rule in English which is called fortis stop insertion shall be considered here as rule A. This rule inserts a voiceless plosives for example in /prɪns/ (prince), so that the new form of the word becomes [prɪnts]. Because a new phonological context has been created in which rule B can take place, the final output form of prince is [prɪnʔts].
An example of counterfeeding can be seen in French
, where petite nièce ("little niece") is pronounced [pətit njɛs]. If the rule which deletes word-final /-ə/ in French had been applied before another rule which deletes word-final consonants before another consonant, this would have been a feeding order so that the final output form would have been [pəti njɛs] instead. A counter-feeding order of phonological rules thus very often creates phonological opacity
. In the given case, it is the application of the rule deleting word-final consonants which has become opaque in French.
In historical linguistics
, a sequence of rules in counterfeeding order is called a chain shift
. A chain shift looks graphically like the following:
where only one rule can apply. The result is that what was originally a becomes b, what was originally b becomes c, what was originally c becomes d, etc. In essence, each sound "shifts" one position to the right. A good example of such a chain shift occurred as part of the Great Vowel Shift
, which took place historically in English around 1500 AD. The long front vowels were raised one position, while the original high front vowel became a diphthong
:
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...
and historical linguistics
Historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:* to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages...
, if two rules are in feeding order, rule A creates new contexts in which rule B can apply. It would not have been possible for rule B to apply otherwise. If the order of the rules are reversed, they are said to be in counterfeeding order.
For example, if we have two rules, rule A which looks like x -> y and rule B which looks like y -> z, then the following is a feeding order:
- A: x→y
- B: y→z
while the following is a counterfeeding order:
- B: y→z
- A: x→y
A good example of feeding can be seen 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...
, where preglottalization can be considered as rule B. As a consequence of this rule, all voiceless
Voiceless
In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of...
plosives which make part of a word-final consonant cluster
Consonant 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....
are glottalized. This can be seen in the form looked, with the underlying representation
Underlying representation
In some models of phonology as well as morphophonology, the underlying representation or underlying form of a word or morpheme is the abstract form the word or morpheme is postulated to have before any phonological rules have applied to it. If more rules apply to the same form, they can apply...
/lʊkt/. It is pronounced [lʊʔkt]. Another rule in English which is called fortis stop insertion shall be considered here as rule A. This rule inserts a voiceless plosives for example in /prɪns/ (prince), so that the new form of the word becomes [prɪnts]. Because a new phonological context has been created in which rule B can take place, the final output form of prince is [prɪnʔts].
An example of counterfeeding can be seen in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, where petite nièce ("little niece") is pronounced [pətit njɛs]. If the rule which deletes word-final /-ə/ in French had been applied before another rule which deletes word-final consonants before another consonant, this would have been a feeding order so that the final output form would have been [pəti njɛs] instead. A counter-feeding order of phonological rules thus very often creates phonological opacity
Phonological opacity
Phonological opacity was first defined by Kiparsky as a measure of how far the context or the consequences of a phonological process may be determined only by examining the surface structure...
. In the given case, it is the application of the rule deleting word-final consonants which has become opaque in French.
In historical linguistics
Historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:* to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages...
, a sequence of rules in counterfeeding order is called a chain shift
Chain shift
In phonology, a chain shift is a phenomenon in which several sounds move stepwise along a phonetic scale. The sounds involved in a chain shift can be ordered into a "chain" in such a way that, after the change is complete, each phoneme ends up sounding like what the phoneme before it in the chain...
. A chain shift looks graphically like the following:
- a→b→c→d
where only one rule can apply. The result is that what was originally a becomes b, what was originally b becomes c, what was originally c becomes d, etc. In essence, each sound "shifts" one position to the right. A good example of such a chain shift occurred as part of the Great Vowel Shift
Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in England between 1350 and 1500.The Great Vowel Shift was first studied by Otto Jespersen , a Danish linguist and Anglicist, who coined the term....
, which took place historically in English around 1500 AD. The long front vowels were raised one position, while the original high front vowel became a diphthong
Diphthong
A diphthong , also known as a gliding vowel, refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: That is, the tongue moves during the pronunciation of the vowel...
: