Neutralization ( lat. Neuter - neither one nor the other [1] ) in linguistics is the elimination of the opposition of elements of the linguistic structure (linguistic units [2] ) due to the position .
The concept of neutralization was introduced into linguistics by phonologists , but since the 1960s it has also been developed in morphology , syntax , lexicology , and semantics [1] .
In Phonology
In phonology, neutralization refers to the indistinguishability of two or more phonemes in one or another phonological position, in which all neutralized phonemes correspond to a representative who can coincide ( Russian lu ka , louga a - luk ) or not match ( rus. [a] , s o m [o] - itself , soma [ʌ] ) with the implementation of one of them in the position of distinction ( relevance ).
In a given language at a certain stage of development, the number of neutralizations is limited, due to the language system . However, in diachrony it can change [1] :
- strengthening [3] neutralization by increasing the number of neutralization positions and reducing the list of relevance positions can lead to the complete elimination of the opposition, that is, to the convergence of phonemes;
- if at least in one position the difference in allophones of one phoneme becomes relevant (and the position itself, therefore, becomes strong), the phoneme diverges and splits into two.
In the phonology of N. S. Trubetskoy , who developed the theory of neutralization, the phonological unit in the position of neutralization is described as an archiphoneme (as opposed to a phoneme), which is reflected in phonemic transcription [4] .
At the highest levels of the language
At the highest levels of the language formed by two-way units , the neutralization of units of the plan of expression (for example, the coincidence of different case values in one form: Russian mice - genitive, dative, prepositional singular and nominative plural) and the neutralization of units of the content plan ( contextual coincidence of meanings of different forms: I will go - Well, I went ) [1] . As in phonology, neutralizations can be weakened and strengthened: for example, in the Slavic languages, the opposition of the dual and the plural is neutralized, and at the same time, the case oppositions are neutralized due to the coincidence of forms in the paradigm of the forms of the dual.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Linguistic Encyclopedic Dictionary , article “Neutralization”
- ↑ Neutralization (in language) - an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia .
- ↑ Power of Neutralization can be expressed by the formula where - number of positions - the number of positions of differentiation (relevance), - the number of neutralizing correlative phoneme pairs.
- ↑ Kodzasov S.V. , Krivnova O.F. General phonetics. M .: RGGU, 2001