Editing Alternation (linguistics)

{{Short description|Alternate phonetic realization of a morpheme}}
{{About|morphophonological alternations|syntactic alternations|Diathesis alternation}}
{{IPA notice}}
{{sound change}}

In [[linguistics]], an '''alternation''' is the phenomenon of a [[morpheme]] exhibiting variation in its [[phonology|phonological]] realization. Each of the various realizations is called an '''alternant'''. The variation may be conditioned by the phonological, [[morphology (linguistics)|morphological]], and/or [[syntax|syntactic]] environment in which the morpheme finds itself.

Alternations provide linguists with data that allow them to determine the [[allophone]]s and [[allomorph]]s of a language's phonemes and morphemes and to develop analyses determining the distribution of those allophones and allomorphs.

The term "sound change" refers to [[historical linguistics|diachronic]] changes, which occur in a language's sound system. On the other hand, "alternation" refers to changes that happen [[synchronic analysis|synchronically]] (within the language of an individual speaker, depending on the neighbouring sounds) and do not change the language's [[underlying representation|underlying system]].

==Phonologically conditioned alternation==
{{See also|Allomorph}}

An example of a phonologically conditioned alternation is the [[English language|English]] [[plural]] marker commonly spelled ''s'' or ''es''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cohn |first=Abigail |chapter=Phonology |pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbooklinguist00aron_948/page/n219 202]–203 |title=The Handbook of Linguistics |url=https://archive.org/details/handbooklinguist00aron_948 |url-access=limited |editor1=Mark Aronoff|editor2=Janie Rees-Miller |year=2001 |publisher=Blackwell Publishers |location=Oxford |isbn=0-631-20497-0}}
</ref> This morpheme is pronounced {{IPA|/s/}}, {{IPA|/z/}}, or {{IPA|/ᵻz/}},<ref group=note>The vowel of the inflectional suffix -{{angbr|es}} may belong to the phoneme of either {{IPA|/ɪ/}} or {{IPA|/ə/}} depending on dialect, and {{angbr IPA|ᵻ}} is a shorthand for "either {{IPA|/ɪ/}} or {{IPA|/ə/}}". This usage of the symbol is borrowed from the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''.</ref> depending on the nature of the preceding sound.

# If the preceding sound is a [[sibilant consonant]] (one of {{IPA|/s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/}}), or an [[affricate]] (one of {{IPA|/tʃ/, /dʒ/}}), the plural marker takes the form {{IPA|/ᵻz/}}. Examples:
#*''mass'' {{IPA|/ˈmæs/}}, plural ''masses'' {{IPA|/ˈmæs'''ᵻz'''/}}
#*''fez'' {{IPA|/ˈfɛz/}}, plural ''fezzes'' {{IPA|/ˈfɛz'''ᵻz'''/}}
#*''mesh'' {{IPA|/ˈmɛʃ/}}, plural ''meshes'' {{IPA|/ˈmɛʃ'''ᵻz'''/}}
#*''mirage'' {{IPA|/mɪˈrɑːʒ/}}, plural ''mirages'' {{IPA|/mɪˈrɑːʒ'''ᵻz'''/}}
#*''church'' {{IPA|/ˈtʃɜːrtʃ/}}, plural ''churches'' {{IPA|/ˈtʃɜːrtʃ'''ᵻz'''/}}
#*''bridge'' {{IPA|/ˈbrɪdʒ/}}, plural ''bridges'' {{IPA|/ˈbrɪdʒ'''ᵻz'''/}}
# Otherwise, if the preceding sound is [[voice (phonetics)|voiceless]], the plural marker takes the likewise voiceless form {{IPA|/s/}}. Examples:
#*''mop'' {{IPA|/ˈmɒp/}}, plural ''mops'' {{IPA|/ˈmɒp'''s'''/}}
#*''mat'' {{IPA|/ˈmæt/}}, plural ''mats'' {{IPA|/ˈmæt'''s'''/}}
#*''pack'' {{IPA|/ˈpæk/}}, plural ''packs'' {{IPA|/ˈpæk'''s'''/}}
#*''cough'' {{IPA|/ˈkɒf/}}, plural ''coughs'' {{IPA|/ˈkɒf'''s'''/}}
#*''myth'' {{IPA|/ˈmɪθ/}}, plural ''myths'' {{IPA|/ˈmɪθ'''s'''/}}
# Otherwise, the preceding sound is voiced, and the plural marker takes the likewise voiced form {{IPA|/z/}}.
#*''dog'' {{IPA|/ˈdɒɡ/}}, plural ''dogs'' {{IPA|/ˈdɒɡ'''z'''/}}
#*''glove'' {{IPA|/ˈɡlʌv/}}, plural ''gloves'' {{IPA|/ˈɡlʌv'''z'''/}}
#*''ram'' {{IPA|/ˈræm/}}, plural ''rams'' {{IPA|/ˈræm'''z'''/}}
#*''doll'' {{IPA|/ˈdɒl/}}, plural ''dolls'' {{IPA|/ˈdɒl'''z'''/}}
#*''toe'' {{IPA|/ˈtoʊ/}}, plural ''toes'' {{IPA|/ˈtoʊ'''z'''/}}

==Alternation related to meaning==
{{main|Apophony}}

===Morphologically conditioned alternation===
[[French language|French]] has an example of morphologically conditioned alternation. The [[grammatical gender|feminine form]] of many [[adjective]]s ends in a [[consonant]] sound that is missing in the masculine form. In spelling, the feminine ends in a [[French phonology#Schwa|silent e]], while the masculine ends in a silent consonant letter:<ref>{{cite book |last=Steriade |first=Donca |year=1999 |chapter=Lexical conservatism in French adjectival liaison |editor1=Jean-Marc Authier|editor2=Barbara E. Bullock|editor3=Lisa A. Reed |title=Formal Perspectives in Romance Linguistics |publisher=John Benjamins |pages=243–70 |chapter-url=http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/steriade/papers/FrenchLiaison.pdf |location=Amsterdam |isbn=90-272-3691-7}}</ref>
*masculine {{lang|fr|petit}} {{IPA|[pəti]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|petite}} {{IPA|[pəti'''t''']}} {{gloss|small}}
*masculine {{lang|fr|grand}} {{IPA|[ɡʁɑ̃]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|grande}} {{IPA|[ɡʁɑ̃'''d''']}} {{gloss|tall}}
*masculine {{lang|fr|gros}} {{IPA|[ɡʁo]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|grosse}} {{IPA|[ɡʁo'''s''']}} {{gloss|big}}
*masculine {{lang|fr|joyeux}} {{IPA|[ʒwajø]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|joyeuse}} {{IPA|[ʒwajø'''z''']}} {{gloss|merry}}
*masculine {{lang|fr|franc}} {{IPA|[fʁɑ̃]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|franche}} {{IPA|[fʁɑ̃'''ʃ''']}} {{gloss|sincere}}
*masculine {{lang|fr|bon}} {{IPA|[bɔ̃]}}, feminine {{lang|fr|bonne}} {{IPA|[bɔ'''n''']}} {{gloss|good}}

===Syntactically conditioned alternation===
Syntactically conditioned alternations can be found in the [[Insular Celtic languages]], where words undergo various initial [[consonant mutation]]s depending on their syntactic position.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Green |first=Antony D. |year=2006 |title=The independence of phonology and morphology: The Celtic mutations |journal=Lingua |volume=116 |pages=1946–1985 |url=http://roa.rutgers.edu/files/652-0404/652-GREEN-0-0.PDF |doi=10.1016/j.lingua.2004.09.002 |issue=11}}</ref> For example, in [[Irish language|Irish]], an adjective undergoes [[Irish initial mutations#Lenition|lenition]] after a feminine singular noun:
*unmutated {{lang|ga|mór}} {{IPA|['''mˠ'''oːɾˠ]}} {{gloss|big}}, mutated in {{lang|ga|bean mhór}} {{IPA|[bʲan '''w'''oːɾˠ]}} {{gloss|a big woman}}
In [[Welsh language|Welsh]], a [[noun]] undergoes [[Welsh morphology#Soft mutation|soft mutation]] when it is the direct [[object (grammar)|object]] of a [[finite verb]]:
*unmutated {{lang|cy|beic}} {{IPA|['''b'''əik]}} "bike", mutated in {{lang|cy|Prynodd y ddynes feic.}} {{IPA|[ˈprənoð ə ˈðənɛs '''v'''əik]}} {{gloss|The woman bought a bike.}}

==See also==
* [[Phonological rule]]
* [[Sound change]]
* [[Apophony]]
* [[Sandhi]]
* [[Allophone]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Linguistic morphology]]
[[Category:Phonology]]