Transphonologization

Transphonologization is a linguistic phenomenon that involves the change of a phoneme's realization in a specific phonetic context to a new phoneme. This process is also known as phonological change or phonetic change.

Overview

Transphonologization is a complex process that involves the interaction of phonetic and phonological factors. It is a type of diachronic phonology that can lead to significant changes in the sound system of a language over time. The term "transphonologization" was coined by James Matisoff in 1975 to describe this process.

Process

Transphonologization begins with a phonetic variation that is conditioned by the phonetic environment. Over time, this variation may become phonologized, meaning that it is perceived and produced as a distinct phoneme. This new phoneme may then undergo further changes, leading to a chain of phonological changes.

For example, in the history of the English language, the pronunciation of the word "night" has changed from /ni:xt/ to /nait/. This change involved a process of transphonologization, where the original /x/ sound was first realized as /h/ in certain contexts, and then this /h/ sound was lost, leading to the current pronunciation.

Factors Influencing Transphonologization

Several factors can influence the process of transphonologization. These include:

• Phonetic environment: The phonetic context in which a sound occurs can influence its realization and the potential for phonologization.
• Language contact: Contact with other languages can introduce new sounds and phonetic variations, which can lead to transphonologization.
• Sociolinguistic factors: Social factors such as prestige and stigma can influence the adoption and spread of phonetic variations.

See Also

• Phonological change
• Phonetic change
• Diachronic phonology
• Phonetic variation
• Language contact
• Sociolinguistics