Consider the following data from Russian, and answer the questions that follow. Note that [tj ] is a palatalized voiceless alveolar stop, a sound similar to but not identical to [t]. [lj ] is also a palatalized [l]. [r] is a voiced alveolar trill. [o] is a mid back tense rounded vowel, [e] is a mid front tense unrounded vowel, and [a] is a low central tense unrounded vowel. There are no affricates in the data; i.e., [t] and [S] should be treated as separate sounds, as well as [d] and [Z].

1. [otstupitj ] ‘to step back’ 7. [izlagatj ] ‘to state’ 2. [odbrositj ] ‘to throw aside’ 8. [ispapI] ‘out of papa’ 3. [sprositj ] ‘to ask’ 9. [izgnat] ‘to drive out’ 4. [bolj Sevizma] ‘bolshevism’ 10. [podZetS] ‘to set fire to’ 5. [podnesti] ‘to bring to’ 11. [odbabuSki] ‘from grandma’ 6. [potpisatj ] ‘to sign’ 12. [izmamI] ‘out of mama’ 1.)

Based on this data, are the allophones [s] and [z] in complementary distribution or contrastive distribution in Russian? 2.) If your answer to Q2 was “complementary distribution,” write a rule to account for the distribution of the two sounds (using a format similar to what we did in class). You can state this however you want (e.g., you can use arrows, or you can just state the rule in words), but make sure you are clear about what the phoneme and the allophones (and their environments) are. If your answer was “contrastive distribution,” list the data points (i.e., the pair of words) that support this conclusion.

Represents a low central unrounded vowel, and r represents a voiced alveolar trill)

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Answer1 The allophones s and z in Russian are in complementary distribution The rule for this distribution is that s occurs before voiceless consonants and z occurs before voiced consonants This can b... View the full answer