TodayA. Sound Change, continued:

• Rotations, Mergers and Splits• Understanding the Great Vowel Shift• Bringing synchronic data to bear on past data• (Milroy and Harris, Milroy and Milroy)

B. Read for next time:’• Labov 15 [all], 16 [451-454]

1. What constitute possible vowel system changes?A. The historical record provides compelling evidence for:1. Shifts2. Mergers3. Rotations

1. What constitute possible vowel system changes?A. The historical record provides compelling evidence for:1. Shifts:

Minimal Chain Shift: a change in the position of two phonemes, so thatPhoneme A leaves an original position which B then assumes:

/A --> B/Extended Chain Shift: a change in the position of two phonemes, so that

the entering value of one minimal chain replaces the leaving value of a second minimal chain:

/A --> B --> C --> D/2. Mergers: a change in the position of two phonemes, so that

Phoneme A leaves an original position and enters a new position occupied by another phoneme, B:

/A/ --> /B/

3. Rotations: equivalent to Extended Chain Shifts

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC 1. Connectedness of elements in a shiftC Functional economy is honored in that vowels move together to

avoid merger and preserve contrast in meaning.

C 2. Phonological changes are largely free of functional motivation

C 3. Phonological changes are socially systematic, but often (in cases of “change from below”) below the level of social awareness.

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC Principles governing chain shiftingC Principle 1. In chain shifts, long vowels rise.C Principle 2. In chain shifts, short vowels fall.C 2a. The nuclei of upgliding diphthongs fall.C Principle 3. In chain shifts, back vowels move to the front.

C Central concepts:C -- principles apply only to vowel shifts identified as chain shiftsC -- applicable only where there is a phonological contrast between

long and short vowelsC -- principles have been combined into patterns, describing their

attested application in the world’s languages (Labov, Table 5.1).• -- subsystems in a vowel system refer to portions of the inventory

that pattern similarly (respond in like manner to a similar conditioning environment, face the same restrictions--e.g., checked vs. free)

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC Patterns occurring in attested chain shifts

C Pattern I: combines Principle I with diphthongization of previously monophthongal vocalic nuclei. (English Great Vowel Shift)

C Pattern II: combines all three principles, I-III. (North Frisian)

C Pattern III: combines Principles I, III. (North Frisian)

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC Examples:C Pattern I: combines Principle I with diphthongization

of previously monophthongal vocalic nuclei. (English Great Vowel Shift)

[iy]: upgliding[I´]: downgliding--Raising of long vowels in back and front subsystems

--Diphthongization of monophthongs (typically upgliding)The Middle High German Vowel Shift[i´] / i / [iy]

/ e / /ey/

[ay]

[uw] / u / [u´]

/ow/ / o /

[aw]

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC Examples:C Pattern II: combines all three principles, I-III

[Q]>[ia]: breaking--Back vowels shift to front positions--Short vowels fall (diphthongal nuclei also fall)--Long monophthongs rise

Northern Frisian Pattern 2 Shift[ia]/i /

/ Q / [A ]

3. Principles of Vowel ShiftingC Examples:C Pattern III: combines Principles I, III.

--Long monophthongs rise--Back vowels frontSwedish Pattern 3 Shift[i˘] /y / [u] /u /

[e˘] /o / /o /

/ Q / /ç /

/a/ [a ]

--Long monophthongs rise--Back vowels frontSwedish Pattern 3 Shift

2. The Great Vowel Shift in English Affected the Middle English (ME) long vowel subsystem

onlyMiddle English Modern Spellings Examples

/i˘/ > [ai] i,y,iCe,ie child, fly, tide, pie

/e˘/ > [i˘] ee, ie seed, field

/E˘/ > [i˘] ea, ei, eCe heath, conceit, complete (but break, drain, great, steak, yea!)

/a˘/ > [e˘] aCe make, dame

/ç˘/ > [o˘] oa, oCe boat, hope

/o˘/ > [u˘] oo food, goose

/u˘/ > [aU] ou, ow house, how

2. Principles of Vowel Shifting: perspective gained from synchronic variation

C Insights from recent work: operated systematically on the prestige dialect (West

Saxon) in southwestern England 1500-1700. did not proceed at the same rate in all regions all social classes were not affected in the same way. ...symmetricality has been questioned.

Gains possible from a synchronic perspective§ -- spread of a change through the speech

community§ -- spread of a change through a phonetic class vs.

through the lexicon§ -- time depth associated with the change

• 3. The Belfast Study (Milroy and Harris, 1980)

n Questions:n Authors refer to the present in Belfast to discuss MEAT/MATE/MEET merging in

Early Modern English. Is this reasonable?

n Explanations:n How did the centring glide develop?n How do we explain the apparent “leapfrogging” of word classes?•

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• 3. The Belfast Study (Milroy and Milroy, 1978)

1. Purpose: Study the rise of an urban vernacular in Belfast

2. Approach:•Observations were not conducted across social classes, but within one social class (working class)•Status differences acknowledged

•3. Variables:• (a) bag, fat, man MC norm=[a], WC variants are [Q A E] Conditioned• (√) pull, took, look, would WC variants are [√ ¨] Lexical, Gender-graded

• (E) bet, peck, slep WC variants are [E´ Q] Binary choice in some environments (_NT), • gradual raising in others, Gender-graded

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