3. Functions of the Syllable

Syllable performs 3 main functions: constitutive, distinctive & identificatory. The constitutive function of the syllable manifests itself in the fact that the syllabic forms higher-level units-words, accentual or rhythmic groups, utterances. On the one hand, the syll. is a unit in which segmental phonemes are realized. L. Bondarko has proved experimentally that the relations between the distinctive feature of the phonemes & their acoustic correlates can be revealed only within the syllable. On the other hand, within a syllable or a sequence of syllables prosodic features of speech are also realized. There are distinctive variations in loudness (stress), in pitch (tone), & in duration (tempo, length). Thus, syllable maybe stressed & unstressed, high, mid or low, rising or falling, long or short. Al these prosodic features are significant for constituting the stress-pattern of a word & the tonal & rhythmic structure of an utterance.

The distinctive feature of the syllable is to differentiate words & word combinations. Phonemes exist & function within the syllable. Therefore words are actually differentiated by the syllable as one articulatory or perceptible unit. E.g. / bi:t / “beat” & “bead” / bi:d / differ not only in their consonant phonemes / t / & / d /, but also in the length of / i:/, which is conditioned by the neighboring fortis and lenis consonants.

there are some words in English where syllabicity alone is responsible for the differentiation of the words: / laitnin / освещение (lightning) & / laitnin /молния (lightning). On this account V. Vassilyev distinguishes a separate phonological unit – the syllabeme.

Syllable division is very important too in distinguishing words & utterances:

/ naitreit / “nitrate” - / naitreit / “night-rate”

/ neim/ “a name” - / neim / “an aim”

/ ai skri:m / “I scream” - / aiskri:m / “ice-cream”

Due to the distinctive importance of syllable division, the syllabic boundary is often regarded by the American descriptivists as a separate phonological unit – the juncture phoneme. Open juncture (or open transition) occurs between syllables: it is called intersyllabic juncture. Thus, in “I scream” / ai| skri:m / the open juncture is between / I / & / s / & in / ais|kri:m / “ice-cream” it is between / s / & / k /. Close juncture (or close transition) occurs between sounds within one syllable. Thus in “ice-cream” / ais|kri:m / the close juncture is between / k / & / r /, / r / & / i:/, / i:/ & / m /. This juncture is called intersyllabic juncture. The largest acoustic investigations of juncture show that the factors determining an open or a close juncture are the

duration of the sounds, their intensity & formant transitions. Thus, according to the data obtained by I. Lehiste, the initial / n /in “a nice man” is longer than the final / n / in “an iceman”. The pre-junctural / n / gas falling intensity, while the post-junctural / n / has rising intensity. Formant transitions of / n / & / ai / are different in the contrasted pairs.

Some phoneticians consider the open juncture to be a segmental phoneme; others consider it a suprasegmental phoneme or a phoneme in its own right.

K. Pike & I. Lehiste regard the juncture to be a contrastive feature of high-level units but not a phonological unit in its own right.

The identificatory function of the syllable is conditioned by the hearer’s perception of syllables as entire phonetic units with their concrete allophones & syllabic boundaries.

The listener identifies two syllables in “plum pie” - сливовый пирог & “plump eye” – глаза навыкате bulging with the corresponding boundaries before / p / & after / p /, bec. in the first example / p / is unaspirated & / m / is shorter on account of the following fortis / p /.

Thus, shifting of the syllabic boundary causes not only a strong foreign accent, but also misunderstanding on the part of the listener.

LECTURE 5