Re: IPA Null Consonant

Doug wrote on 05/26/2003 09:40:16 PM:

> Why does a phonetic transcription system need a symbol to indicate the
> absence of a sound?

It does not. The following are common situations in which lingusts use a 
null symbol, however:

- In a transcription that shows morpological analysis, with morphemes 
making up a wordform usually separated by hyphens, if a paradigm has an 
unmarked member, then the null symbol will often be used in the 
transcribed morphological analysis.

- In phonology, rules of epenthesis will often be written in the form

∅ → x / y _ y

and similarly rules of deletion will use a null.

- Likewise, in historical linguistics, if a phoneme has arisen in certain 
contexts, it might be said to be a reflex of *∅ (asterisk conventionally 
used to indicate reconstructed proto-forms); and a null might also be used 
to indicate that a proto-phoneme has been deleted in certain contexts.

- Perhaps also in formal semantics, to indicate the empty set (not exactly 
something frequently referred to in formal semantics, but the need can 
arise).




- Peter


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Constable

Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
Tel: +1 972 708 7485



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