This means that /-z/ is suffixed after the consonantal segments
/b d g v m n I r w
/ and after any vowel.
Underlying representation
Surface representation
tubs
/t b-z/
/t bz/
lads
/læd-z/
/lædz/
mugs
/m g-z/
/m gz/
groves
/greuv-z/
/greUvz/
lathes
/leI-z/
/leIz/
brooms
/bru:m-z/
/bru:mz/
tons
/tn-z/
/tnz/
songs
/s -z/
/s z/
spells
/spel-z/
/spelz/
cars
/k:r-z/ or /k:-z/
/k:rz/ or /k:z/
cows
/kaU-z/
/kaUz/
days
/deI-z/
/deIz/
seas
/si:-z/
/si:z/
shoes
/ u:-z/
/ u:z/
c.
Underlying /z/ is realised as /-Iz/ in the surface representation if a stem ends in a
consonant which is both (i) strident and (ii) coronal. This means that /-Iz/ is the
allomorph selected after the sibilants /s z t d /, with
/I/ separating
the coronal sibilant
of the stem from that of the suffix.
We can envisage the sort of analysis below to account for the realisation of this
allomorph. I have set it out as a blow-by-blow account for clarity of exposition. But I
am not suggesting that these stages need to be gone through one after the other. There
is no reason why they should not all happen simultaneously.
(i)
The consonant /z/ is introduced by the morphological rule of plural suffixation, e.g. /læs-
z/.
(ii)
The vowel /I/ is inserted to separate the strident coronal of the stem from that of the
suffix. (English does allow word-final clusters like / s/, /sz/, /z/etc.
when a suffix
follows a stem.)
This gives: /læs-z/ /læs-I-z/
(iii) The selection of /z/ rather than /s/ is a foregone conclusion as now /-z/ is preceded by a
vowel, which is voiced. So, we get /læs-I-z/ /læsIz/, not */læs-Is/.
Underlying representation
Surface representation
lasses
/læs-z/ /læs-Iz/
/læsIz/
cheeses
/t i:z-z/ /t i:z-Iz/
/t i:zIz/
ashes
/ae -z/ /æ -Iz/
/æ Iz/
bridges
/brId-z/ /brId-Iz/
/bridIz/
finches
/fInt -z/ /fIn -Iz/
/fIn t IZ/
charges
/t a:d-z/ /tfa:d-Iz/
/t a:dIz/
As [5.1] shows, the selection of allomorph of the plural morpheme is conditioned by phonological
considerations. In each case the allomorph selected is one that has the same affinity with the last sound of
ENGLISH WORDS 59
the stem to which it is suffixed. Ignoring the
subtleties of the situation, the essence of the generalisation that
we need to capture is this: allomorphs of the plural agree in voicing with the final sound of the stem to
which they are attached.
ASSIMILATION is the name given to this kind of ‘agreement’ which has the effect of making one sound
become more like another sound in its neighbourhood. So, voiceless final consonants in the stem require the
voiceless fricative allomorph /s/ while voiced final consonants go with the voiced fricative /z/. However,
where following this procedure would result in two sibilants being right next to each other, the vowel /I/ (or /
e/ in some dialects) is inserted between the last consonant and the suffix (as in
lasses /læsiz/ or /læsez/).
This phenomenon of vowel insertion is also called SCHWA EPENTHESIS (schwa being the name of the
vowel /e/).
Assimilation is normally the reason for the phonological conditioning of allomorphs. A morpheme may
have more than one mask. It may masquerade as one of several allomorphs when the sounds that represent
it are modified so that they become more like some other sound (s) in the environment where it appears. An
allomorph wearing a suitable phonological mask is chosen to suit each set of phonological circumstances.
The phonological modification, as mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, can affect bases as well as
affixes. So far we have seen a suffix with several phonologically conditioned allomorphs. Now we will look
at bases that change when an affix is attached.
In some nouns which end in a labial or dental voiceless fricative, i.e. /f/ or / / (spelled as
-th and
-f), the
final consonant gets voiced to /v/ and // respectively when the plural suffix /-z/ is present. The voicing is
much more common with the nouns ending in /f/ than those ending in / /.
[5.2]
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: 
