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3
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3
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So, we have the concept of distinctive features. These distinctive features allow us to define natural classes of sounds. But how do we define these features?
Well, first of all, the features we define should be adequate to define some natural class of sounds. But remember that a natural class is composed of sounds that share a certain feature or group of features. Clearly, different sounds should not share all of the same features. So, if the proposed set of distinctive features in human language is adequate, every sound should have a unique set of features.
In the phonetics lessons, it was discussed that different sounds are classified by the features associated with their specific articulations. For example, consonants are classfied in terms of their place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing. Each sound was represented by a unique combination of these features.
So, a good place to approach distinctive features might be those used in the phonetic classifications discussed in the phonetics lessons. Are these features adequate? If they are, they should be able to define all natural classes of sounds, and every sound should be definable in terms of those features.
To test all the natural classes of human language is a long drawn out process, and such features are still being tested. However, we don't have to go too far afield to discover that places of articulation, manners of articulation, and voicing are not adequate. Observe the following data from Scottish English:
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Data from Aitken (1981; 1984) |
Question: Based on the above data, before which consonants do the vowels 
appear, and before which consonants do the vowels 
appear?
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Look to see how you did.