Phonology studies phonic elements.
Phonology is a branch of linguistics whose exponents have phonic elements as their object of study, taking into account their distinctive and functional value. Just as phonetics contemplates the analysis of the acoustic and physiological profile of sounds, phonology is responsible for interpreting the way in which sounds arise at an abstract or mental level.
The union that establishes the etymological origin of the concept phonology is that of the Greek terms phonos, which means “sound”; logos which can be translated as “study”; and the suffix -ia which is synonymous with “quality or action”.
Phonology and sound analysis
Specialists identify as minimal pairs those words that refer to different things and that only differ from each other based on a sound. Two minimal pairs differ in their underlying phonemic representation by at least one phoneme. Examples of this kind of terms would be “mass” and “house” , or “mouth” and “rock” .
It should be noted that a phoneme is identified by certain phonetic features, although its specific pronunciation depends on the context that establishes its other relevant phonetic particularities. In all languages , most phonemes are underspecified.
Among the main phonetic features that are taken into account to distinguish phonemes are their consonantity , their syllabicity , their sonorantism , their sonority and aspiration , their mode of articulation and their point or place of articulation .
Phonology analyzes the phonetic features of phonemes.
phonetic transcription
In phonetic transcription, the most used system is the one supported by the International Phonetic Association (IFA) , an entity that in 1886 brought to light an International Phonetic Alphabet for the standardization of the graphic symbols used to establish the pronunciation of every language dominated by man.
This alphabet includes a basic flow of signs, which are complemented by diacritical signs that enable a large number of possible combinations and allow the representation of a considerable amount of articulatory subtleties .
References of phonology
When talking about phonology we have to determine that, although throughout history there have been many linguistic professionals who have determined its development, one of the most important has been, without a doubt, the Russian Nikolai Trubetzkoy who He carried out what is considered one of the great works for the study of the aforementioned subject. This is the book titled "Principles of Phonology" , which was published posthumously in 1939 .
Along with this character, considered the father of structural phonology, there are other compatriots who also left their deep mark in the aforementioned field. This would be the case of Roman Jakobson, who stood out greatly for the different studies he undertook within what was children's language. These turned out to be quite an innovation, as were the research he carried out on aphasias, which he divided into paradigmatic and syntagmatic anomalies.
To both phonologists we must inevitably add the Frenchman André Martinet who brilliantly continued the theories and principles presented by Trubetzkoy . Of this Gallic linguist's entire career, it is worth highlighting his work entitled "Economy of phonetic changes" , published in 1955 , which is considered the first and only great work on diachronic phonology .