Diphthong

A diphthong (from Greek δίφθογγος: Dis " twice " and phthóngos "Loud" ) is a double volume of two different vowels, diphthong, or even two- tone. The most common spellings of diphthongs in English are " ei", "au", " AEU " and "eu"; rare are "ai" or "ui ". Diphthongs are found in almost all languages.

Distinction between diphthong and hiatus

A diphthong is to be distinguished from a hiatus. While a diphthong a single syllable assigned ( for example, " house ", " lei - se "), a hiatus is located at the junction between two syllables (eg, " Cha -os ", " Rotari - he ", " Radi -o "," Bo - a "," Ru - ine ").

While diphthongs in principle may not be separated, the hiatus a hyphenation is allowed.

Classification

A distinction is made between:

• Falling diphthongs in which the main emphasis is on the first part (eg German "au", " ei", etc.) and in which the tongue movement from the "bottom " to " top " runs.
• Rising diphthongs, with the weight on the second part (eg French / wa / in words like loi ). Here the tongue movement of proceeds " top " to "bottom ".
• Centering diphthongs, in which the tongue movement is in the direction of a central tongue vowel (eg English [ ɪə̯ ] as in paper or Alemannic / iə̯ / as in song).
• Floating diphthongs, where the tongue movement is horizontal (for example, German [ uɪ̯ ] as in " hui ", " Pooh " )
• Sometimes a long diphthongs differ from short ( eg bern German [a ː u] vs. [au ] as in Schtaau " steel " vs. Schtau " stable ").

Diphthongs in English

The German sound system has the following four diphthongs different notation:

• Au / aʊ / "house"
• Ei, ai / aɪ / " glue ", " corn "
• Eu, AEU / ɔʏ̯ / " hay ", "runner"
• Ui / ʊɪ̯ / "Ugh! "

The diphthongs uɪ̯ and ɛɪ̯ exist at the lexical periphery ( " Pooh! , Uighur ", " ey! , Spray, Svejk "). Likewise also œɪ̯ possible if, for example, " Feuilleton " is spoken with a short " E ".

Although this is phonetic realizations of phonemes, the following sounds can also be understood from the articulatory point of view as diphthongs: [i ˑ ɐ̯ ] (" we", " beer " ), [y ˑ ɐ̯ ] (" for", " stems " ), [ u ˑ ɐ̯ ] ("only ", " clock " ), [e ˑ ɐ̯ ] (" sea " ), [ ɛ ˑ ɐ̯ ] (" Bear" ), [ ø ˑ ɐ̯ ] (" eye ", " hairdresser " ) and [o ˑ ɐ̯ ] ( "ear" ).

The original diphthong "ie" has been in the Central German dialects already from the 11th - 12th Century repectively ( while it occurs in the Bavarian and Alemannic to date). In today's German is "ie" only a " prolonged i" represents (such as in " love", " bee ").

Phonologically considered have diphthongs (if one evaluates each case as a phoneme ) the same vowel quantity as long vowels. According to new as in the old German spelling therefore diphthongs - as with long vowels - a " ß" to follow, but not a "ss", as well as any other doubled consonants, " tz " or " ck", but only the most simple consonant letter.

Nevertheless, the diphthongs are considered problematic case, as you discussed in linguistics, whether those have the value of one or two Phonemstellen, so apply as monophonematic or biphonematisch. You have several arguments designed to support the respective theses. To support the thesis biphonematische has minimal pairs formed as a rough [au ] vs.. Heron [ ai ], Lauer [au ] vs.. Lyre [ ai ] or hurry [ ai ] vs. Owl [ ᴐ Y], in order to show that in each case only the first or the second component of the diphthong accordingly other part is opposed. Also for the monophonematic thesis, there are several arguments, such as that the diphthongs are seen etymologically from a monophthong, so from a simple vowel, emerged. Was my new house from the Middle High German mîn nîuwes hus. Furthermore, diphthongs are not distributed over two syllables, ie the syllable boundary between two vowels never located, which in turn supports the theory of diphthongs as a Phonemstelle.

In German dialects (often in the south, such as Bavarian ), there are some more diphthongs, which are formed partly with nasals and do not exist in the standard language.

Exemplary examples from the Upper Bavarian:

• ~ au in Stauz'n ( " Mosquito " )
• Ea in Keaz'n ( "candle" )
• ~ ea ~ in eana ("You" )
• ~ e in Sect ~ ei ( "fast" )
• Ia in via Kia ( " four cows" )
• Oa in zwoa Stoa ( " two Stare " )
• ~ oa ~ oa in St ~ oa ( " a stone " )
• ~ oi ~ oi in ( " ascend " )
• Ou in grouß ( "large" )
• Among others in Bua ( " Bub " )
• Ui vui in z'vui G'fui ( " too much sense " )

Examples from the Ripuarian:

• Ew in Kew ( box ) Mews ( crap ), News (Nest)
• Oa in Koat ( string ), Hoa ( hair), POATS (door ), Joa ( year)
• Oi in Hoi (hay), Schnoits ( mustache), Schroijel ( Shriveled )
• Ou in Sou ( Sau ), Bou (Construction), Rou ( rest), broue ( brew )
• öi in Möisch ( Sparrow ), Köisch (kitchen), döije (press); Noei ( new)
• Iie iie in (your, your ) hüere, (listening), vüe ( for, against ), Vüe (fire)

Diphthongs in other languages

Of the European languages ​​mainly Catalan and Romansh are rich in diphthongs, the latter example, with names like Rueun.

In Mandarin, there are the diphthongs / ai / (Example :爱, ài, love ), / ei / (谁, Shei, who), / aʊ / (好, hǎo, good), / oʊ / (有yǒu, have ). There are also by pioneering the semi-vowels / w / and / j / to monophthongs, the sequences / ja / (俩, liǎ, lovers), / jɛ / (节, jié, Public Holiday) / wa / (光, Guang, light ) / wɔ / (多, duo, a lot), / jʊ / (兄, Xiong, older brother ), and a number of diphthongs Triphthongen.

Others

As Diphthongie for Doppeltönigkeit a sub sound in speaking due to morbid or nervous irritation of the vocal cords is called.