6.5.6 Triple codas
- Except for (1), which has three obstruents, all the other combinations
consist
of a nasal or a liquid (sonorant) followed by two obstruents.
(The following combinations are found in non-suffixed forms.)
C1 C2 C3 Examples
(1) stop fricative stop /dst/ midst, /kst/ next
(2) a) nasal stop stop /mpt/ exempt, /ŋkt/ sacrosanct
b) nasal stop fricative /mps/ mumps, /ŋks/ jinx
c) nasal fricative stop /nst/ against, /ŋst/ amongst
(3) a) l stop stop /lpt/ sculpt
b) l stop fricative /lts/ waltz
c) l fricative stop /lst/ whilst
(4) a) r stop stop /rkt/ infarct, /rpt/ exerpt
b) r stop fricative /rps/ corpse, /rts/ quartz
c) r fricative stop /rst/ first
d) r l stop /rld/ world
e) r l fricative /rlz/ Charles
6.5.6 Triple codas
- Except for (1), which has three obstruents, all the other combinations
consist
of a nasal or a liquid (sonorant) followed by two obstruents.
(The following combinations are found in non-suffixed forms.)
C1 C2 C3 Examples
(1) stop fricative stop /dst/ midst, /kst/ next
(2) a) nasal stop stop /mpt/ exempt, /ŋkt/ sacrosanc
b) nasal stop fricative /mps/ mumps, /ŋks/ jinx
c) nasal fricative stop /nst/ against, /ŋst/ amongst
(3) a) l stop stop /lpt/ sculpt
b) l stop fricative /lts/ waltz
c) l fricative stop /lst/ whilst
(4) a) r stop stop /rkt/ infarct, /rpt/ exerpt
b) r stop fricative /rps/ corpse, /rts/ quartz
c) r fricative stop /rst/ first
d) r l stop /rld/ world
e) r l fricative /rlz/ Charles
- A multiplicity of other triple codas is created via suffixation; /t, d/ of the
simple past tense, /s, z/ of the plural, the possessive, and the third person
singular of the simple present, /
ɵ/ of ordinal number morpheme.
(e.g. sixth [sɪksɵ], warmth [wɔrmɵ])
- Triple codas with suffixation:
C1 C2 C3 Examples
(1) nasal obstruent /t, d, s, z/ laments
(2) /s/ stop /t, d, s, z/ lisped
(3) a) /l/ obstruent /t, d, s, z/ gulped
b) /l/ nasal /d, z/ filmed
(4) a) /r/ obstruent /t, d, s, z/ wharfs
b) /r/ /l/ /d, z/ curls
c) /r/ nasal /d, z/ turned
(5) obstruent obstruent obstruent lifts
(only /pts, kts, fts, pst, kst/)
- Points:
(1) Nasals and liquids serve frequently as C1 in triple codas
(2) The sequences of /lk, mp, sk/ freely occur as double codas in English
but triple codas combining these elements are very restricted.
(3) English lacks /rlk, rmp, lmp, nsk/ as triple codas.
(4) Like double codas, clusters of obstruents in triple codas always
agree in
voicing (e.g. /spt/ lisped)
- Coda Deletion:
(1) When the word ending in a cluster is followed by a word that begins
with a consonant, the final member of the cluster is deleted:
/nd/ hand made (cf. hand out)
spend money (cf. spend it)
grand bargain (cf. grand illusion)
/st/ next class (cf. Next hour)
just now (cf. Just as) best thing (cf. best option)
/ft/ left street (cf. left arm)
(2) Coda deletion in words with suffixes and in compounds, where a sequence
of three consonants is placed across the syllable boundary:
/nd/ handsome (compound)
/st/ textless (suffix)
/ft/ softness (suffix)
(3) The coda deletion is not observed if the consonant after the final cluster
is /h/:
wild horse *[waɪl hɔrs]
guest house *[gɛs haʊs]
(4) If the consonant after the cluster is a liquid, the deletion is optional:
han(d) luggage
gues(t) list
(5) In grammatical endings, this deletion is much less likely to occur:
/nd/ planned trip [plænd trɪp]
/st/ fixed game [fɪkst gem]
/ft/ autographed book [ɔtəgræft bʊk]
