Glossary: morphology and phonology
Technical terms
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CoarticulationCoarticulation happens when the movements in the vocal tract necessary to produce one sound also influence another neighbouring sound. Coarticulation is sometimes regarded as an automatic phonetic effect (distinct from assimilation, which is regarded as a phonological rule). See also anticipatory coarticulation and perseverative coarticulation. | |
CochleaThe organ of hearing. A spiral structure in the inner ear where mechanical vibrations are converted to nerve impulses, which are then sent to the brain. | |
Cocktail party effectBinaural hearing (using both ears) helps us to separate interesting sounds from a background of irrelevant noise. In a room where several conversations are taking place, one can focus on one of them and ignore the rest: the cocktail party effect. | |
CodaThe consonant(s) in a syllable that follow the vowel. E.g. in the syllable /pak/, the /k/ forms the coda. | |
Cohort modelA model of auditory word recognition in which listeners are assumed to develop a group of candidates, a word initial cohort, and then determine which member of that cohort corresponds to the presented word. | |
Common groundThe shared understanding of those involved in the conversation. | |
Communicative competenceThe skill associated with using a language appropriately and effectively in various social situations. | |
ComparativeIn degree systems, the degree with the meaning ‘having a higher degree, more’. | |
Compensatory lengtheningSometimes when a consonant is deleted (especially if it is in the coda, and especially if it is a sonorant), a (usually preceding) short vowel becomes long; this is referred to as compensatory lengthening. This process usually takes place historically, i.e. in language change. | |