Phonological Universals

Definition

Phonological universals refer to the common patterns and features observed in the sound systems of natural languages across the world. These universal principles underlying the organization and structure of speech sounds are a fundamental aspect of the human language faculty.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Phonological universals are thought to reflect the innate biases and constraints of the human language faculty, which shape the way speech sounds are organized and used in natural languages.
2. One of the most well-known phonological universals is the preference for simple, open syllable structures (e.g., CV) over more complex syllable types (e.g., CVC, CCVC).
3. Another universal is the tendency for languages to have a small number of vowel phonemes, typically ranging from 3 to 7, compared to the larger inventory of consonant phonemes.
4. Phonological universals also include the observation that certain sound contrasts, such as voicing or nasality, are more common and widespread than others.
5. The study of phonological universals has implications for understanding the cognitive and biological foundations of human language, as well as the processes of language acquisition and change.

Review Questions

• Explain how phonological universals reflect the innate biases and constraints of the human language faculty.
  • Phonological universals are thought to reflect the innate biases and constraints of the human language faculty because they represent common patterns and features observed in the sound systems of natural languages across the world. These universal principles underlying the organization and structure of speech sounds are believed to be shaped by the cognitive and biological mechanisms that underlie human language processing and acquisition. The prevalence of certain sound patterns and the relative rarity of others suggest that the human language system is predisposed to organize speech sounds in particular ways, which may be influenced by factors such as articulatory ease, perceptual salience, and the limitations of short-term memory.
• Describe the relationship between phonological universals and linguistic typology.
  • Phonological universals are closely linked to the field of linguistic typology, which studies the structural diversity of languages and identifies common patterns that cut across language families. The identification of phonological universals is an important aspect of linguistic typology, as it helps researchers understand the underlying principles that govern the sound systems of natural languages. By comparing the sound inventories and patterns of languages from different families and geographical regions, linguists can uncover the universal tendencies and constraints that shape the organization of speech sounds. This knowledge, in turn, informs our understanding of the cognitive and biological foundations of human language, as well as the processes of language acquisition and change.
• Evaluate the role of markedness in the study of phonological universals and its implications for language learning and change.
  • The concept of markedness plays a crucial role in the study of phonological universals and has important implications for language learning and change. Markedness refers to the notion that certain linguistic features are more basic, natural, or expected than others, which can influence their distribution and acquisition. In the context of phonological universals, markedness helps explain why some sound contrasts and patterns are more common and widespread than others. For example, the preference for simple, open syllable structures over more complex syllable types can be understood in terms of markedness, with the simpler structures being less marked and therefore more easily acquired by language learners. Similarly, the relative rarity of certain sound contrasts may be due to their marked status, which can make them more challenging to learn and maintain in a language's sound system. The study of markedness and its relationship to phonological universals has implications for understanding the processes of language acquisition, as well as the factors that drive language change and evolution over time.

Related terms

Phonology: The study of the sound system of a language, including the inventory of speech sounds, their patterning, and the rules governing their distribution and combination.

Linguistic Typology: The study of the structural diversity of languages and the identification of common patterns or universals that cut across language families.

Markedness: The notion that certain linguistic features are more basic, natural, or expected than others, which can influence their distribution and acquisition.