Forum newsfeeds |  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
16-Mar-2004, 01:49
| | | tone languages Is Turkish a tone language? | 
16-Mar-2004, 08:21
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,603
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 6
Thanked 500 Times in 439 Posts
| | I don't know- I'll ask ssome Turkish friends and come back on this. | 
16-Mar-2004, 09:18
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
Posts: 12,997
Current Location: China First Language: English Member Type: Other Thanks: 0
Thanked 54 Times in 53 Posts
| | Re: tone languages Quote: |
Originally Posted by dmt_mst Is Turkish a tone language? | Turkish is not a tone language, but it does have a special phonetic feature known as synharmonism or vowel harmony, which means, the vowels in a given word belong to the same vowel class.
All the best, | 
16-Mar-2004, 16:51
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,094
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts
| | Re: tone languages Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Quote: |
Originally Posted by dmt_mst Is Turkish a tone language? | Turkish is not a tone language, but it does have a special phonetic feature known as synharmonism or vowel harmony, which means, the vowels in a given word belong to the same vowel class.
All the best, | Wow! That was great! :) | 
16-Mar-2004, 23:05
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,603
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 6
Thanked 500 Times in 439 Posts
| | I'm not sure that I get what it means too clearly, though. | 
16-Mar-2004, 23:14
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,094
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I'm not sure that I get what it means too clearly, though.  | I don't either, but that bit exceeded my knowledge of Turkish by leaps and bounds. :wink: | 
17-Mar-2004, 07:53
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
Posts: 12,997
Current Location: China First Language: English Member Type: Other Thanks: 0
Thanked 54 Times in 53 Posts
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I'm not sure that I get what it means too clearly, though.  | From the root vowel, we can predict what the affix vowel will be. For example, if the root vowel is /o/ (e.g, son "end") and the affix vowel is /i/ (e.g, - in genitive singular), then the affix vowel /i/ will share the same place of articulation, with respect to roundness and/or backness, with the root vowel /o/, like this, Turkish data
Root: son
Genitive Singular Affix: - in
==> s on un
Note, the affix vowel /i/ is pronounced as "u", a round vowel or a vowel produce with rounded lips. Both "u" and "o" share the articulatory feature [+round]. That's vowel harmony.
If, say, the affix vowel is /e/ (i.e. - ler "genitive plural), then /e/ will share the same place of articulation as the root vowel /o/, like this,
Root: son
Nominative Plural Affix: -ler
==> s onl ar
Note, the affix vowel /e/ is pronounced as "a", a non-high vowel. Both "e" and "a" share a similar articulatory feature. They are produced with the tongue situated in the lower part of the oral cavity (mouth).
The root and affix vowels are said to be in harmony because they share similar features. The speaker modifies the affix vowel so that is shares articulatory properties or harmonizes with the root vowel.
SOURCE http://www.u.arizona.edu/ic/heiberg/turkish/data.html | 
17-Mar-2004, 15:54
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,094
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I'm not sure that I get what it means too clearly, though.  | From the root vowel, we can predict what the affix vowel will be. For example, if the root vowel is /o/ (e.g, son "end") and the affix vowel is /i/ (e.g, - in genitive singular), then the affix vowel /i/ will share the same place of articulation, with respect to roundness and/or backness, with the root vowel /o/, like this, Turkish data
Root: son
Genitive Singular Affix: - in
==> s on un
Note, the affix vowel /i/ is pronounced as "u", a round vowel or a vowel produce with rounded lips. Both "u" and "o" share the articulatory feature [+round]. That's vowel harmony.
If, say, the affix vowel is /e/ (i.e. - ler "genitive plural), then /e/ will share the same place of articulation as the root vowel /o/, like this,
Root: son
Nominative Plural Affix: -ler
==> s onl ar
Note, the affix vowel /e/ is pronounced as "a", a non-high vowel. Both "e" and "a" share a similar articulatory feature. They are produced with the tongue situated in the lower part of the oral cavity (mouth).
The root and affix vowels are said to be in harmony because they share similar features. The speaker modifies the affix vowel so that is shares articulatory properties or harmonizes with the root vowel.
SOURCE http://www.u.arizona.edu/ic/heiberg/turkish/data.html | Wow, again! Have you studied Turkish, Cas? | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 16:01. |  |