Juncture

Juncture Juncture, in linguistics, is the manner of moving (transition) or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds. It is the relationship between two successive syllables in speech. A juncture is, formally, a supra segmental phonemic cue, a means by which a listener can distinguish between two otherwise identical sequences of sounds that have different meanings

Typology There are several kinds of juncture, the most widely used typology of which is: 1. Plus juncture: Also known as open juncture, this is subdivided into internal open juncture and external open juncture. It is the juncture that occurs at word boundaries. In phonetic transcription open juncture is transcribed /+/, hence the name plus juncture. 2. Close juncture: Also known as a normal transition, this is a transition between segments (sounds) within a word. 3. Terminal juncture: Also known as falling, clause terminal or terminal contour, this is the juncture at the end of a clause or utterances with falling pitch before a silence. Other less common typologies exist, such as the division (favored by American Structuralism in the middle twentieth century) into plus, single bar, double bar, and double cross junctures, denoted /+/, /|/, /||/, and /#/respectively. These correspond to syllabification and differences in intonation, single bar being a level pitch before a break, double bar being an upturn in pitch and a break, and double cross being a downturn in pitch that usually comes at the end of an utterance. JUNCTURE – a pause or a slight delay in a continuous flow of speech. Sound transitions characterize the movement from sound to sound within a word or a phrase.

Samples: CLOSE JUNCTURE: TRAIN BLAME MERRY OPEN JUNCTURE:

NIGHT BRIGHT BLOOM

A NAME NIGHT RATE SHORE TRAIN New Deal Four met It swings

-- AN AIM -- NITRATE -- SHORT RAIN -- nude eel -- form ate -- its wings

SOUND: 1) Within a syllable: Read: man car

clear bad

2) From syllable to syllable within a word: Read: lady shadow faith-ful man-ly plen-ty live-ly 3) From word to word: a. From one consonant to another: Plosive to plosive Read : hot day : It's going to be another hot day. • (First plosive is held briefly, then exploded as a part of the second.) b) From plosive to continuant: Plosive is not exploded before the continuant but becomes part of the latter. Read: Hot water without money She drunk the hot water. I can’t go without money. c) From t to th /&/:th th/ or/ should be sounded prominently. Ex. At the store, them, through thick and thin They sell sugar at the store. d) From consonant to a vowel: The plosive is exploded blending with the vowel. Ex. Stop it. Please stop it!. It is continuous with some continuants. Ex. Pull out.

e) From vowel to vowel: A momentary glide consonant is likely to link them together. Ex. do it lying see us know it w y y w Do it faster! Can’t you see us? f) The linking “r” transition: When a syllable ends with a vowel (followed by ‘r’) the /r/ sound links them together. Ex. Star of the show, moreover.