Palatalization

Palatalization (UK: palatalisation) denotes a number of assimilatory processes in phonetics by which the articulation of a consonant is changed under influence of a preceding or following front vowel or a palatal or palatalized consonant, esp. the palatal approximant [ j]. As a general term palatalization can cover various different phonetic and phonological processes such as phonological palatalization, phonetic palatalization, assibilation, and coronalization. The term "palatalization" is sometimes used by European linguists (German Palatalisierung) to denote a type of vowel mutation more commonly referred to as i-umlaut (UK: i-mutation). The French term mouillure (German Mouillierung) is another word for (phonemic) palatalization.

Palatalization as a Phonetic Phenomenon

Palatalization in synchronic language usually refers to a phonetic process by which a consonant acquires a secondary palatalized articulation under influence of a front vowel or palatal or palatalized consonant. This process manifests itself in varying degrees.

If only the middle of the tongue is raised, there is only a superficial degree of palatalization. In IPA this is indicated by a small superscript [^j]. This phonetic process is sometimes called "pure" palatalization. It exists in many languages, including English, as in the difference between initial [k] in the words kin and cool. In the former word, the [k] is palatalized, but native speakers of English do not hear this superficial modfication. Palatalization may also produce a laminal articulation in apical consonants such as [t].

The related phenomena of assibilation and coronalization are usually subsumed under the term palatalization as both terms denote a greater degree of palatalization by which the affected consonant becomes an affricate or sibilant. This phenomenon is known in English, e.g. the pronunciation gotcha for "got you", where the sequence [t + j] have become assimilated into the affricate[tʃ].

Phonological Palatalization

In synchronic language systems palatalization can be either allophonic or phonemic. It remains allophonic as long as the palatalization is mechanically conditioned by the linguistic context. Thus, the difference between k in English kin and cool is an example of allophonic palatalization because there is no functional difference between these two different k's; it is simply a result of the different linguistic environments.

However, when the palatalization feature is independent from any conditioning factor (through syncope), this is called phonemic palatalization. Palatalized and non-palatalized allophones of the same consonant may alternate within morphological paradigms (e.g. to indicate grammatical number or different nominal cases).

In diachronic language description, phonemic palatalization is the result of a phonemic split. One example is the split of original Germanic *[k] in Old English [k] and [ tʃ ] under influence of neighboring vowels, as in the word chin (from West Germanic *kinni (with *[k]).

Bibliography

• Andrea Calabrese. 2005. Markedness and Economy in a Derivation Model of Phonology. Studies in Generative Grammar 80. Berlin/New York: Mouton De Gruyter. ISBN 3110184656 (Chapter 4: On coronalization and affrication in palatalization processes: an inquiry into the nature of a sound change; pp. 301-352)
• Aditi Lahiri and Vincent Evers. 1991. "Palatalization and Coronality." Carole Paradis and Jean-François Prunet eds. Phonetics and Phonology vol.2. The Special Status of Coronals: Internal and External Evidence. San Diego: Academic Press, 79-100. ISBN 0125449666 (alk. paper) or ISBN 0125449674 (pbk, alk. paper)
• Jerzy Rubach. 1981. Cyclical Phonology and Palatalization in Polish and English. Rozprawy Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego 219. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. ISSN 05097177