PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY VOWEL SYSTEMS: SOLUTION ...

Hungarian has seven basic vowel qualities occurring as long and short vowels at each
place. The short vowels are generally lower and less peripheral
3. A language with the vowel system illustrated below is in the process of
undergoing a change such that the low central vowel is moving towards the
back of the space. Discuss the potential implications of this shift. Assume that
there are no length distinctions.
If the low vowel moves back it will start to encroach upon the low back vowel which may
have to change in some way to prevent a merger. Think of different ways the system could
cope with this potential conflict. e.g. the back vowel could become rounded or more
probably it would start to rise. This might set up a chain of events that could affect the
entire back dimension with all vowels rising. But there would be a problem with /u/ unable
to go any higher. What might be the possible effects on /u/ e.g. fronting or diphthongisation.
4. A language has two diphthongs that rise from the low front and low back of the
space. These diphthongs are closely associated with the two low monophthongs.
Discuss the possible effect of monophthong raising on these two diphthongs. What
impact might this have on the third diphthong in the language?
Raising the two low monophthongs could cause a concomitant shift in the first target of the
two associated diphthongs through the process of monophthong / diphthong
interdependence. This would impact on the third diphthong because there would be two
diphthongs in the system with the same trajectory pattern. This third diphthong would
presumably also have to change to prevent merger.