Vowel Harmony

Overview

Vowel harmony is a phonological phenomenon where vowels within a word influence each other, causing them to share certain phonetic characteristics. This means that vowels in a word tend to belong to the same class, either front or back, or rounded or unrounded.

Key Concepts

The core idea is vowel assimilation. Vowels are typically classified based on features like backness (front/back) and roundedness (rounded/unrounded). In vowel harmony, these features must be consistent across the word, often affecting suffixes.

Types of Vowel Harmony

• Front-Back Harmony: Vowels are either all front or all back.
• Rounded Harmony: Vowels are either all rounded or all unrounded.
• Height Harmony: Vowels agree in their height (e.g., high, mid, low).

Deep Dive

The direction of harmony can vary. In progressive harmony, the initial vowel affects subsequent vowels. In regressive harmony, a later vowel influences earlier ones. Suffixes often undergo the most dramatic changes to conform to the root vowel’s features.

Applications

Vowel harmony is a fundamental aspect of the phonology of many languages, including Turkish, Finnish, Hungarian, and Korean. It plays a crucial role in morphological processes, particularly in the formation of plurals, cases, and verb conjugations.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is that vowel harmony is random. However, it follows strict, predictable patterns. Another challenge is identifying the exact features that trigger harmony in different languages, which can be complex.

FAQs

Is vowel harmony found in English?

While not a strict system like in Turkish, some limited forms of vowel harmony can be observed in English dialects and loanwords.

What is the ‘trigger’ vowel?

The trigger vowel is typically the first vowel in the root or stem of a word that dictates the harmony for other vowels, especially in suffixes.