ABSTRACT
Process for determining the phonemes of a language, their characteristics, relations, and combinatory rules in the framework of a particular language theory. The proceedings of the Prague School (N.Trubetzkoy, R.Jakobson) are based on the functional aspect of phonemes and their characteristics as semantically distinctive elements of language and primarily on the analysis of their distinctive oppositions. American structuralism (principally L.Bloomfield, Z.S.Harris) attempts to determine the pho nemic inventory by establishing the possible environments in which phonemes occur. Regardless of divergences in the theoretical approaches, certain procedures are fundamental to any (structuralist) phonemic analysis: the smallest distinctive sound units are identified and classified according to their distribution and phonetic similarities to other phonemes through segmentation of the air stream and substitution of different phonemes. Substitution tests are performed on minimal pairs, e.g. [gæb] vs [kæb] vs [thæb]. Sound units that can be substituted in the same position but are semantically distinctive are identified as phonemes. Differences between relevant (=distinctive) and irrelevant (=redundant) features of phonemes of a language, their distribution in different positions (initial, medial, final), as well as the rules governing their possible combinations are determined by constantly refining the process of segmentation and classification. For a criticism of classical phoneme analysis, see Chomsky and Halle (1965). ( also allophone, distribution, neutralization, opposition, phonemic inventory, phonology)
References
Chomsky, N. and M.Halle. 1965. Some controversial questions in phonological theory. JL 1. 97138. phonology, Prague School
Degree of relatedness between two or more phonemes based on the number of common or different distinctive features. All phonemes can be distinguished by at least one (acoustic or articulatory) feature. For details on the conceptual system developed by N.Trubetzkoy to describe the relationships, opposition.
