Segment (linguistics)

A segment in linguistics is an analyzed part of a spoken utterance. Segments can be obtained at every level of the speech analysis.

Phonetics

In phonetics, segments are the units on the lowest level of analysis, that sounds / Phone. As the smallest constituents of syllables can be divided into consonants and vowels, and possibly also in tones. These can be combined as required to Onset ω, ν nucleus, coda κ, ι initial, medial μ, Final φ and ρ rhyme.

Other levels of language

Taking a set to segment it, so be broken down into its components, we can gain segments of very different nature. As the smallest segments are used in analysis of spoken language, the sounds in the analysis of written language, the letters or manuscripts in question. One can decompose into syllables, morphs, words, parts of a sentence or part of a set of sentences as well. Assuming even larger utterances as the rate, so for example the discourse, conversation or text, so even larger units such as paragraphs or chapters can be obtained as segments.

Importance of the segments

If you want to a control system, a grammar, develop, one needs the segments, so you can perform what units are handled by the control system. Method how to deal with formal means possible ( ie with as little use of your own intuition ) can break down linguistic utterances into segments that have been developed primarily by the representatives of the American ( taxonomic ) structuralism of the 1920s to 1950s, including Leonard Bloomfield, Joseph H. Greenberg, Zellig S. Harris and Rulon S. Wells. The second step was then to classify the segments obtained. Due to the classification you just go to the units of the language system, the Langue. By the sounds we classify as ( = units of parole) according to their function in communication, one obtains the phonemes, the units of the Langue. Similarly, morphs are classified into morphemes.