Difference between revisions of "Lenition"

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(Lenition chart for stops)
(Normalised transcription to akerbeltz (with minor adaptations))
Line 20: Line 20:
 
!  Example (lenited)
 
!  Example (lenited)
 
|-
 
|-
/p/
+
[pʰ]
/f/
+
[f]
|  '''''p'''aileat'' <br> /'''p'''ailʲət̪/ <br> 'a pilot'
+
|  '''''p'''aileat'' <br> [''''''aiʎəʰt̪] <br> 'a pilot'
|  ''aig a' '''ph'''aileat'' <br> /ɛgʲ ə '''f'''ailʲət̪/ <br> 'at the pilot'
+
|  ''aig a' '''ph'''aileat'' <br> [ɛgʲ ə '''f'''aiʎəʰt̪] <br> 'at the pilot'
 
|-
 
|-
/b/
+
[b̊]
/v/
+
[v]
|  '''''b'''odach'' <br> /'''b'''ɔd̪ax/ <br> 'an old man'
+
|  '''''b'''odach'' <br> [''''''ɔd̪̊ax] <br> 'an old man'
|  ''a '''bh'''odaich'' <br> /ə '''v'''ɔd̪ɪç/ <br> 'old man (voc.)'  
+
|  ''a '''bh'''odaich'' <br> [ə '''v'''ɔd̪̊ɪç] <br> 'old man (voc.)'  
 
|-
 
|-
/t̪/
+
[t̪ʰ]
/h/
+
[h]
|  '''''t'''aileat'' <br> /''''''uəhənax/ <br> 'a farmer'
+
|  '''''t'''uathanach'' <br> ['''t̪ʰ'''uəhənax] <br> 'a farmer'
|  ''a '''th'''uathanaich'' <br> /ə '''h'''uəhənɪç/ <br> 'farmer (voc.)'
+
|  ''a '''th'''uathanaich'' <br> [ə '''h'''uəhənɪç] <br> 'farmer (voc.)'
 
|-
 
|-
/ʧ/
+
[tʲʰ]
/h/
+
[h]
|  '''''t'''eachdaire'' <br> /'''ʧ'''ɛxkɪɾʲə/ / <br> 'a messenger'
+
|  '''''t'''eachdaire'' <br> ['''tʲʰ'''ɛxg̊ɪrʲə]  <br> 'a messenger'
|  ''a '''th'''eachdaire'' <br> //ə '''h'''ɛxkɪɾʲə/   <br> 'messenger (voc.)'  
+
|  ''a '''th'''eachdaire'' <br> [ə '''h'''ɛxg̊ɪrʲə]   <br> 'messenger (voc.)'  
 
|-
 
|-
/d̪/
+
[d̪̊]
/ɣ/
+
[ɣ]
|  '''''d'''uine'' <br> /d̪unʲə/ <br> 'a man'
+
|  '''''d'''uine'' <br> [d̪̊uɲə] <br> 'a man'
|  ''a '''dh'''uine'' <br> /ə '''ɣ'''unʲə/ <br> 'man (voc.)'
+
|  ''a '''dh'''uine'' <br> [ə '''ɣ'''uɲə] <br> 'man (voc.)'
 
|-
 
|-
/ʤ/
+
[d̊ʲ]
/j/
+
[ʝ]
|  '''''Di'''ùrachh'' <br> /'''ʤ'''uːɾax/ <br> 'a Jura-man'
+
|  '''''Di'''ùrachh'' <br> ['''d̊ʲ'''uːrax] <br> 'a Jura-man'
|  ''a '''Dh'''iùraich'' <br> /ə '''j'''uːɾɪç/ <br> 'Jura-man (voc.)'  
+
|  ''a '''Dh'''iùraich'' <br> [ə '''ʝ'''uːrɪç] <br> 'Jura-man (voc.)'  
 
|-
 
|-
/k/
+
[kʰ]
/x/
+
[x]
|  '''''c'''ailleach'' <br> /'''k'''alʲax/ <br> 'an old woman'
+
|  '''''c'''ailleach'' <br> [''''''aʎax] <br> 'an old woman'
|  ''aig a' '''ch'''ailleach'' <br> /ɛgʲ ə '''x'''alʲax/ <br> 'at the old woman'
+
|  ''aig a' '''ch'''ailleach'' <br> [ɛg̊ʲ ə '''x'''aʎax] <br> 'at the old woman'
 
|-
 
|-
/kʲ/
+
[kʲʰ]
/ç/
+
[ç]
|  '''''c'''eannaiche'' <br> /''''''an̪ˠɪçə/ <br> 'a salesman'
+
|  '''''c'''eannaiche'' <br> ['''kʲʰ'''an̪ˠɪçə] <br> 'a salesman'
|  ''a '''ch'''eannaiche'' <br> /ə '''ç'''an̪ˠɪçə/ <br> 'salesman (voc.)'  
+
|  ''a '''ch'''eannaiche'' <br> [ə '''ç'''an̪ˠɪçə] <br> 'salesman (voc.)'  
 
|-
 
|-
/g/
+
[g̊]
/ɣ/
+
[ɣ]
|  '''''g'''obha'' <br> /'''g'''oːə/ <br> 'a smith'
+
|  '''''g'''obha'' <br> [''''''o.ə] <br> 'a smith'
|  ''a '''gh'''obha'' <br> /ə '''ɣ'''oːə/ <br> 'smith (voc.)'
+
|  ''a '''gh'''obha'' <br> [ə '''ɣ'''o.ə] <br> 'smith (voc.)'
 
|-
 
|-
/gʲ/
+
[g̊ʲ]
/j/
+
[ʝ]
|  '''''g'''ille'' <br> /''''''ɪlʲə/ <br> boy'
+
|  '''''g'''ille'' <br> ['''g̊ʲ'''iʎə] <br> boy'
|  ''a '''gh'''ille'' <br> /ə '''j'''ɪlʲə/ <br> 'boy (voc.)'  
+
|  ''a '''gh'''ille'' <br> [ə '''ʝ'''iʎə] <br> 'boy (voc.)'  
 
|}
 
|}
  

Revision as of 15:08, 21 September 2009

Lenition is an Initial Consonant Mutation which "softens" the sound of the first consonant in a word. It is used to mark certain morphological contrasts and to mark |inflection. It also inaccurately known as aspiration (which is the term used for a phonological phenomenon involving a burst of air). we will use the more correct term here.

Basic phenomenon

Orthographic Changes

For most letters, lenition is indicated by putting an <h> after the first consonant in the word. For example, when the word caora "sheep" follows the feminine article a' , it is lenited and is written a' chaora.

The consonants written l,n,r which are subject to lenition phonologically (see below) show no orthographic change.

Phonological Changes

Stops

Radical Lenited Example (radical) Example (lenited)
[pʰ] [f] paileat
[aiʎəʰt̪]
'a pilot'
aig a' phaileat
[ɛgʲ ə faiʎəʰt̪]
'at the pilot'
[b̊] [v] bodach
[ɔd̪̊ax]
'an old man'
a bhodaich
vɔd̪̊ɪç]
'old man (voc.)'
[t̪ʰ] [h] tuathanach
[t̪ʰuəhənax]
'a farmer'
a thuathanaich
huəhənɪç]
'farmer (voc.)'
[tʲʰ] [h] teachdaire
[tʲʰɛxg̊ɪrʲə]
'a messenger'
a theachdaire
hɛxg̊ɪrʲə]
'messenger (voc.)'
[d̪̊] [ɣ] duine
[d̪̊uɲə]
'a man'
a dhuine
ɣuɲə]
'man (voc.)'
[d̊ʲ] [ʝ] Diùrachh
[d̊ʲuːrax]
'a Jura-man'
a Dhiùraich
ʝuːrɪç]
'Jura-man (voc.)'
[kʰ] [x] cailleach
[aʎax]
'an old woman'
aig a' chailleach
[ɛg̊ʲ ə xaʎax]
'at the old woman'
[kʲʰ] [ç] ceannaiche
[kʲʰan̪ˠɪçə]
'a salesman'
a cheannaiche
çan̪ˠɪçə]
'salesman (voc.)'
[g̊] [ɣ] gobha
[o.ə]
'a smith'
a ghobha
ɣo.ə]
'smith (voc.)'
[g̊ʲ] [ʝ] gille
[g̊ʲiʎə]
boy'
a ghille
ʝiʎə]
'boy (voc.)'


Initial <sp>, <st>, <sg>, and sometimes <sn> (depending upon the dialect) do not undergo lenition.

Lenition Triggers

  • certain articles:
  • intensifiers: glè, ro

See Also

External Links

References