Assimilation – fundamental terms
1
Assimilation is a process whereby adjacent consonants become more similar to each other (e.g. in
manner or place of articulation) in order to facilitate pronunciation. Assimilation is the result of the
process known as coarticulation that refers to the effect of the phonetic context on the articulation of
speech sounds.
1.1
Anatomic mechanisms underlying assimilation processes
1.1.1 Perserveration
It refers to prolongation of the articulatory setting characteristic of a phoneme that occurs in the left
context, so that the articulatory features of the phoneme in the right context are affected, e.g.
świat /ɕfjat/, krzywy /kʃyvy/, twarz /tfaʃ/
1.1.2 Anticipation
It occurs when the articulators are set in the position characteristic of a phoneme in the right context
too soon. As a result the articulatory features of the phoneme in the left context are changed, e.g.
szybko /ʃɨpko/, arabski /arapsci/, babcia /bapɕa/
1.2
Typology of assimilations in Polish
progressive or perserverative a. (left to right: a sound changes
the direction of the effect of the
phonetic context
type of expression
articulatory feature that becomes
affected by the context
2
2.1
with reference to a preceding segment)
regressive or anticipatory a. (right to left: a sound changes with
reference to a following segment)
intra-word a. (within word boundaries)
e.g. ściemnić /st^ɕemɲit^ɕ/ or /ɕt^ɕemɲit^ɕ/
inter-word a. (at the boundary between adjacent words)
e.g. kotek Basi /koteg baɕi/, ogród Piotra /ogrut pjotra/
voicing
nasality
palatalization
place of articulation
manner of articulation
Voicing assimilations
inter-word a. (always regressive)
word-final syllable
voiceless obstruent (orthography)
word-initial syllable
voiced obstruent (orthography)
(+nasal or liquid)
(+nasal or liquid)
voiced phoneme
voiced phoneme
regressive voicing
word-final syllable
voiced obstruent (orthography)
word-initial syllable
voiceless obstruent (orthography)
(+nasal or liquid)
(+nasal or liquid)
voiceless phoneme
voiceless phoneme
regressive devoicing
idź tam – idź do niej
zjedz tosta – zjedz deser
włóż szal – włóż żakiet
weź pomarańczę – weź brzoskwinię
mów ciszej – mów głośniej
ząb trzonowy – ząb biały
próg sali – próg drzwi
Idź do kuchni, weź talerz, nóż i widlec
i nałóż sobie warzyw.
Zmiażdż czosnek, wrzuć go na
patelnię i usmaż z cebulą.
it^ɕ tam id^ʑ do ɲej
zjet^s tosta zjed^z deser
vwuʃ ʃal vwuʒ ʒacjet
veɕ pomaraɲt^ʃe veʑ bʒoskfiɲe
muf t^ɕiʃej muv gwoɕɲej
zomp tʃonovɨ zomb bjawɨ
pruk sali prug d^ʒvi
id^ʑ do kuxɲi veɕ taleʒ nuʒ i
videled^z i nawuʃ sobje vaʒɨf
zmjaʃt^ʃ t^ʃosneg vʒud^ʑ go na
patelɲe i usmaʃ s t^sebulow~
2.1.1 Regional variation
Poznan-Cracow pronunciation
word-final syllable
word-initial syllable
voiceless obstruent (orthography)
sonorant (vowel or consonant)
voiced phoneme
sonorant
regressive voicing
Warsaw pronunciation
word-final syllable
word-initial syllable
voiced obstruent (orthography)
sonorant (vowel or consonant)
voiceless phoneme
sonorant
regressive devoicing
sklep Adama
sklep monopolowy
grób Anny
grób rodzinny
2.2
Warsaw
sklep adama
sklep monopolovɨ
grup annɨ
grup rod^ʑinnɨ
Poznan-Cracow
skleb adama
skleb monopolovɨ
grub annɨ
grub rod^ʑinnɨ
intra-word a.
2.2.1 Regressive devoicing
On word boundaries and when followed by a voiceless obstruent voiced obstruents become devoiced:
<b>-/p/
<d>-/t/
<w>-/f/
<z>-/s/
Araba-arabski
słaba-słabszy
baba-babcia
wóda-wódka
młody-młodszy
słodycz-słodsi
surowa-surówka
wada-wpada
wziąć-wsiąść
rozwód-roztwór
araba arapsci
swaba swapʃɨ
baba bapt^ɕa
vuda vutka
mwodɨ mwotʃɨ
swodɨt^ʃ swotɕi
surova surufka
vada fpada
vʑoɲt^ɕ fɕoj~ɕt^ɕ
rozvud rostfur
<ż,-rz>-/ʃ/
bluza-bluzka
bezładny-bezpłatny
książę-książki
mężowie-mężczyzna
bliżej-bliższy
bluza bluska
bezwadnɨ bespwatnɨ
kɕow~ʒe kɕow~ʃci
mew~ʒovje mew~ʃt^ʃɨzna
bliʒej bliʃʃɨ
In clusters of a voiced obstruent followed by a nasal/liquid or <ł> and a voiceless obstruent the
following rules apply:
voiced obstruent + nasal/liquid/<ł> + voiceless obstruent ->
voiceless obstruent + devoiced nasal/liquid/<ł> + voiceless obstruent e.g. mędrca /mentrt^ɕa/
or: voiced obstruent + nasal/liquid/<ł> + voiceless obstruent e.g. módlcie /mudlt^ɕe/
or: voiceless obstruent + voiceless obstruent e.g. jabłko /japko/
2.2.2 Regressive voicing
<ś> - /ʑ/
<cz> - /d^ʒ/
<t> - /d/
<k> - /g/
proś-prośba
licz-liczba
fotek-futbol
tak-także
wszak-wszakże
jak-jakże
jednak-jednakże
proɕ proʑba
lit^ʃ lid^ʒba
fotek fudbol
tak tagʒe
fʃak fʃagʒe
jak jagʒe
jednak jednagʒe
2.2.3 Terminal devoicing
Voiced obstruents at word boundaries become voiceless.
plosives
fricatives
affricates
dębu-dąb
wada-wad
waga-wag
głowa-głów
bryza-bryz
talerze-talerz
więzi-więź
rydze-rydz
łodzi-łódź
gwiżdże-gwiżdż
mądrzy-mądrz
dembu domp
vada vat
vaga vak
gwova gwuf
bryza brys
taleʒe taleʃ
vjej~ʑi vjej~ɕ
rɨd^ze rɨt^s
wod^ʑi wut^ɕ
gviʒd^ʒe gviʃt^ʃ
mondʒɨ montʃ
In clusters of a voiced consonants followed by a sonorant at word boundary the following rule applies:
voiced consonant + sonorant (consonant) + pause ->
voiced consonant + sonorant (consonant) + pause, or
voiceless consonant + devoiced sonorant (consonant) + pause
e.g.
kadr /kadr/ or /katr/
bóbr /bubr/ or /bupr/
realizm /realizm/ or /realism/
blizn /blizn/ or /blisn/
2.2.4 Progressive devoicing
Voiced consonants become devoiced when preceded by a voiceless consonant:
wrzeć-przeć
grze-krze
brzask-trzask
przedrze-przetrze
<w>-/f/
dwór-czwór
zwiad-świat
zwarzy-twarzy
Przez Krzysztofa trzeba w
czwartek przyjść do pracy.
Twój ojciec chrzestny jest
świetnym przyjacielem.
<rz>-/ʃ/
3
vʒet^ɕ pʃet^ɕ
gʒe kʃe
bʒask tʃask
pʃedʒe pʃetʃe
dvur t^ʃfur
zvjat ɕfjat
zvaʒɨ tfaʒɨ
pʃes kʃɨʃtofa tʃeba f t^ʃfartek pʃɨjʑd^ʑ
do prat^sɨ
tfuj ojt^ɕet^s xʃestnɨ jest ɕfjetnɨm
pʃɨjat^ɕelem
Nasality
Assimilation with respect to nasality is optional. It concerns only vowels and occurs in very few
contexts, e.g. when the the vowel precedes a nasalized glide (/w~/ or /j~/):
wąs
pański
/võw~s/
/pãj~sci/
also:
kamfora
tramwaj
benzyna
inspektor
inwalida
awansie
4
/kãmfora/
/trãmvaj/
/bẽw~zɨna/
/ĩnspektor/
/ĩnvalida/
/avãw~ɕe/
Palatalization
Some consonants preceding a palatal consonant may assimilate and become palatal. This is an
alternative pronunciation:
assimilation
<nń>/ɲɲ/
<zdzi,-zdź>/ʑd^ʑ/
<zsi,-zś>/ɕɕ/
<-zzi,-zź>/ʑʑ/
5
word
gminie-gminnie
cenię-cennie
działać-zdziałać
podział-rozdział
się-ssie
śmieszył-rozśmieszył
zielenieć-zzielenieć
ziębnąć-zziębnąć
canonical
gmiɲe gminɲe
t^seɲe t^senɲe
d^ʑawat^ɕ zd^ʑawat^ɕ
pod^ʑaw rozd^ʑaw
ɕe sɕe
ɕmjeʃɨw rosɕmjeʃɨw
ʑeleɲet^ɕ zʑeleɲet^ɕ
ʑembnoɲt^ɕ zʑembnoɲt^ɕ
alternative
gmiɲe gmiɲɲe
t^seɲe t^seɲɲe
d^ʑawat^ɕ ʑd^ʑawat^ɕ
pod^ʑaw roʑd^ʑaw
ɕe ɕɕe
ɕmjeʃɨw roɕɕmjeʃɨw
ʑeleɲet^ɕ ʑʑeleɲet^ɕ
ʑembnoɲt^ɕ ʑʑembnoɲt^ɕ
Place and manner of articulation
Assimilations concerning place or manner of articulation are mostly regressive and word-internal.
A stop may assimilate with respect to manner of articulation to the following fricative or affricate: this
process is known as affrication. It occurs when the articulators are set to a position appropriate for the
following sound too early. As a result the plosive acquires a fricative release.
Fricatives may assimilate regressively with respect to place of articulation: the tip of the tongue is set
to a position characteristic of the following fricative before the friction of the first one is released.
assimilation
<z> + /ʃ/ -> /ʃ/
word
zszargać
canonical
sʃargat^ɕ
alternative
ʃʃargat^ɕ
rozszerzać
sczernieć
rosʃe ʒat^ɕ
st^ʃerɲet^ɕ
roʃʃe ʒat^ɕ
ʃt^ʃerɲet^ɕ
rozczarować
rozżalony
zrzucać
zżymać się
matce
dowódca
powietrze
odczuwam
rost^ʃarovat^ɕ
rozʒalonɨ
zʒut^sa t^ɕ
zʒɨmat^ɕ
matt^se
dovutt^sa
povjetʃe
ott^ʃuvam
roʃt^ʃarovat^ɕ
roʒʒalonɨ
ʒʒut^sa t^ɕ
ʒʒɨmat^ɕ
mat^st^se
dovut^st^sa
povjet^ʃʃe
ot^ʃt^ʃuvam
kadʒe
andʒej
najmwotɕi
ɕrudʑemnɨm
odd^ʑawu
kad^ʒʒe
and^ʒʒej
najmwot^ɕɕi
ɕrud^ʑʑemnɨm
od^ʑd^ʑawu
(place, regressive)
<s>, <z> + /t^ʃ/ -> /ʃ/
(place, regressive)
<z> + /ʒ/ -> /ʒ/
(place, regressive)
<t>, <d> + /t^s/ -> /t^s/
(manner, regressive)
<t>, <d> + /ʃ/ or /ʒ/ or
/t^ʃ/ + vowel -> /t^ʃ/
(place or manner, regressive)
<d> + /ʒ/ + vowel -> /d^ʒ/ kadrze
(manner, regressive)
Andrzej
<t>, <d> + palatal
najmłodsi
consonants ->
Śródziemnym
/t^ɕ/, /d^ʑ/
oddziału
(manner, regressive)