Syllable

The syllable (from the Latin Syllaba, Greek συλλαβή, summary ', in this case, summary of sounds ') is a grammatical or linguistic term that refers to a unit of one or more successive sounds ( phonemes ) that can be in a train pronounce and form a unit of speech. The exact delimitation of the syllable can not scientifically be clearly defined. It represents the smallest volume group in the natural flow of speech

The syllable is a purely phonetic (phonetic ) unit, which is formed regardless of their importance. Therefore, the division of a word into syllables often not true of the division into meaningful units ( morphemes ) in line - even if the Germans often creates this impression. This is made difficult in that morphemes are called in certain classifications as speech syllables. The syllable described in this article is referred to as a speech syllable boundary. In addition, sometimes a write syllable is defined.

Each phonological word can be subdivided into syllables - this division is the basis of the written language ( graphematic ) word division at the end of the line, which is indicated by a hyphen ( for example, digestion unit, wisdom, Sil -be, lus -tant wa - rum, Chi - rurg ). In poetry, that is, poetry and other Versdichtungen, constituted in some languages ​​such as the German exchange of stressed and unstressed syllables the meter. In this context, required by the meter stressed syllable as elevation, an unstressed is called a reduction in the prosody. This terminology is used in a figurative sense also on quantitative system of verses of the ancient metric. As uplift here those long syllables are called that are not short syllables represented as lowering the short syllables and replacing them long syllables.

Although each language has its own rules for the construction of their syllables, but some of them are universal: A syllable must always contain exactly one syllable peaks. This is usually a vowel or diphthong ( diphthong ). In addition, it may comprise one or more consonants. Some languages ​​(eg German ) allow in unstressed syllables also sonorous consonants such as nasals or Liquid as a syllable peak. Other languages, such as Czech, also allow certain consonants in stressed syllables than syllable peaks, eg STRC PRST skrz krk, plug the finger through the neck '. These aspects are considered in linguistics as syllable restrictions. In this context, it is asked when a syllable the so-called " well-formedness aspects " does not follow and when. We distinguish between universal and language-specific syllable structure constraints.

As syllabic is called a consonant when it is syllables in a word. Examples are words that end with en: "Load" [ la ː dn ] with syllabic / n / in contrast to nichtsilbischen variant [ la ː dən ] with schwa / ə /, which is traditionally correct pronunciation.

• 4.1 syllable quality
• 4.2 syllable quantity

Syllable structure

In linguistics, the syllable ( σ ) is expressed simplified, defined as a sequence of segments having an internal structure. That is, a syllable consists of a group of sounds in the natural flow of speech, which can articulate in the same breath as the spokesman. The syllable is thus the smallest free phonological unit.

There are different traditions and theories of syllable analysis. In the first level, the syllable structure from the sequence of segments usually in syllable head ( Onset, ω ) and syllable rhyme ( ρ ) is divided. The rhyme is further divided mainly in western phonology consonants in the syllable nucleus ( nucleus, ν ) and syllable tail ( coda, κ ). Especially in the Far East phonology of the head or initial sound is further analyzed in the initial sound ( ι ) and medial sound ( μ ) or instead medial and rime is the complex final volume ( φ ) is used, which also carries the audio ( τ ) with height and gradient, which in lexemische many East Asian languages ​​and not only has syntactical meaning.

Thus, the minimum core has an optional left and right edges, which together form a syllable shell. The syllable approach is mandatory in some languages ​​, in others (including German ) it shall be absent. The coda is mandatory in any language, it is always either optional (such as in German ) or they do not happen ( for example, in Hawaiian ).

Some linguists distinguish between the phonetic and phonological syllable. Pike used to name the phonetically defined sound units, the terms account ID (C ), Vokoid (V) and tone (T). Vocoids are " oral, non- lateral Resonant " Kontoide all other segmental speech sounds. A phonetic syllable may contain the syllable feature "Sound" in initial Kontoide, in the nucleus vocoids and included in the final sound Kontoide or vocoids.

Syllable approach

The syllable approach (also: beginning of a syllable, syllable, syllable head, initial boundary, onset) consists of one or more consonants. For example, form the consonants [n ] and [ m] in the word name in each case the approach of a syllable. Succession and maximum number is restricted here. The restriction applies to both individual languages ​​viewpoints of phonotactics, as well as universal because of the sonority. A sequence of consonants in the syllable approach has mostly rising sonority, but there are exceptions such as the sequence [ ʃt ] in the German word Stock.

For morphological initial sound for the first phoneme of a word see initial sound.

Syllable rhyme

The syllable rhyme consists of the consonantal coda together with the vocalic syllable nucleus. In traditional Chinese phonology it is not further subdivided, but still distinguished by sound.

Syllable peak

The syllable peak ( nucleus, syllable nucleus ) is the moment of greatest sonority of a syllable and thus their sonoranter main part ( " segment with the highest prominence "). In general, this is a vowel syllable peaks, such as the vowel [ a] in the word crest is the top of a syllable. If no vowel is present, the syllable nucleus is situated on a liquid consonant ( liquid ) or a nasal sound, such as the [l] sound in the word summit and the [n ] According load in the Word each form the top of a vowel -less syllables.

The syllable as the smallest free phonological unit has exactly one nucleus. Consonantal Satellitenphoneme ( syllable and syllable coda ) can surround the nucleus. A larger phonological unit may have multiple syllable peaks.

A syllable nucleus in the simplest case consists of exactly one short or long vowel. In most languages, is found as a syllable peak slightest variation of two vowels and thus consists of a diphthong, eg [ ai ] in the word porridge. Less common are also triphthongs, so a direct consequence of three vowels or semi-vowels in the nucleus, syllabic peak capable, such as in the English word fire [ faɪə ] (RP ).

Coda

The coda (of Italian coda, tail ', also: end of a syllable, Silbenauslaut, syllable tail end edge ) consists of one or more consonants. Succession and maximum number of consonants are restricted thereby. The restriction applies to both individual languages ​​viewpoints of phonotactics, as well as universal because of the sonority. A sequence of consonants in the syllable coda has mostly falling sonority, but there are exceptions such as the sequence [ pʃ ] in the German word pretty. In many languages ​​, including German, an obstruent in the coda must be voiceless, see devoicing.

Syllable shell

The syllable shell is made up of the optional syllable edges ( syllable head and coda ). Head and coda form the consonantal environment of the obligatory vowel syllable peak.

Phonemes which do not exist in the syllable nucleus of a syllable, but only in the syllable shell, hot Satellitenphoneme. These include nichtsilbische consonants and vowels are not fully part of a diphthong. The Germans are, with few exceptions (eg, / n / and / l / ) all consonants Satellitenphoneme, in other languages ​​is the number of consonants that can occur as a syllable nucleus, much larger. Vowels can always make the syllable nucleus, and does not belong in the category Satellitenphonem.

Syllabification

The syllabification describes the formation of syllables of sound segments, which follow one another according to certain rules. Find use, for example, the rules of sonority.

Phonotactic classification

The Sonoritätsprinzip states that the sonority of each syllable to syllable peaks increases every now and then decreases again. The phonology of a language divides the speech sounds a phonological Sonoritätsklassen which are relative to each other. The Syllabizität a speech sound is not an intrinsic, context- free characteristic of a segment, but the comparative results of the syntagmatic contrast of sonority segment with reasonable compared to other segments with sounds of lower sonority. A sound is syllabic, if it has a syllable nucleus.

Syllable quality and quantity

Syllable quality

The syllable quality describes a syllable with respect to their segmental structure. A distinction is made between open and closed syllable and between naked and covered syllable.

A covered syllable has one ( consonantal ) syllable head. A naked syllable, however, begins directly with the ( vowel ) syllable peaks. About the structure of Reims, that is, whether there is a ( consonantal ) Koda or not, take the two terms no statement.

Examples:

• The third syllable of the word museum is naked.
• The first and second syllable of the word museum are covered.

In an open syllable coda remains empty, that is, the syllable peak is not followed by a consonant. A closed syllable ends, however, on at least a consonant in final position. About the existence or nature of the syllable head, the two terms do not say anything.

Examples:

• The first syllable of the word syllable is closed.
• The second syllable of the word syllable is open.

Syllable quantity

The syllable quantity describes syllables according to their duration or on its severity (see syllable weight). Will regard the syllable duration distinction between short and long syllables and with respect to the syllable weight between light and heavy syllables.

Syllable position

To denote syllables of a word in terms of its position, Latin technical terms are used for the last three syllables: the last syllable of a word is called a suffix or Ultima (Latin ultima, " the Last " ), the penultimate penultimate (Latin penultimate ) and the antepenultimate Antepänultima (Latin antepaenultima ); the first syllable of a word is called first syllable, all hot between first and last syllable medial syllables or middle syllables.

To designate words of classical and Romance languages ​​in terms of the one syllable that bears the main accent, whereas Greek technical terms are commonly used: is the main accent on the last syllable, it is called a word Oxytone; he is on the penultimate syllable, it is called a Paroxytonon, and he falls on the antepenultimate syllable, the word is a Proparoxytonon. All three terms are in turn " proparoxytonal ", namely with the main emphasis on the "y" express. On the first syllable stressed words are called prototon, words with accent on the second syllable as deuteroton.

Optimal syllable

An optimal syllable has only the (usually vowel ) syllable nucleus (V ) to an initial syllable approach (K ) and waives the coda. Thus, it consists only of a consonant and a vowel (Scheme KV ).

Examples: Austronesian languages ​​as the Hawaiian and Rotokas or the Australian Mudburra only allow optimal syllables. (Eg: Hawaiian Honolulu ). In Japanese, even the stock of characters (see hiragana ) a reflection of the fact that in this language there are only optimal syllables, including the -conceived as a separate syllable nasal / n / - which in turn is important in the poetic meters (see haiku ).