Low Phonetic Voice Assimilation with Obstruents in Polish and English

Jerzy Rubach

Obstruents are distinguished from sonorants in that they are produced "with a cavity configuration that makes spontaneous voicing impossible" (See Chomsky, Noam & Halle, Morris The Sound Pattern of English New York: Harper & Row, 1968.). Voice is therefore important for distinctions among obstruents; in some contexts, however, these distinctions are completely obliterated, as in Polish, or partially, as in English. This obliteration is caused by different voicing & unvoicing assimilation processes; these processess are analyzed, particularly in reference to low phonetic voicing & unvoicing rules. Styles of speech influence the application of certain of these rules. There are words in Polish having low phonetic variant pronunciations with respect to the voicing or unvoicing of obstruents. Such pronunciations are independent of the segmental context that follows; they occur in different styles. Progressive assimilation of Polish unvoicing is necessary for the discovery of the nature of underlying segments. Orthographic words cannot always be equated with phonological ones, as in the case of moglby & robmy. While voice assimilation in English is generally obligatory, in Polish it may be optional, depending on the style of speech & occasionally on the number of obstruents to be assimilated. Low phonetic rules are ordered; this contradicts J. D. McCawley (See The Phonological Component of a Grammar of Japanese The Hague: Mouton, 1968.). Voice assimilation rules apply in steps, though sometimes the same rule may apply sequentially. Modified AA

Low Phonetic Voice Assimilation with Obstruents in Polish and English

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