A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

percentage symbol 355
paucal (adj.)
see number
pause (n.) The general sense of this term applies in linguistics, phonetics
and psycholinguistics, where an attempt is made to give a precise account of
the types and distribution of pausal phenomena and to draw conclusions
concerning their function in speech. A distinction has been drawn between
silent pauses and filled pauses (e.g. ah, er), and several functions of pause have
been established, e.g. for breathing, to mark grammatical boundaries, and to
provide time for the planning of new material. Pauses which have a structural
function (juncture pauses) are distinguished from those involved in hesitation
(hesitation pauses). Investigations of pausal phenomena have been particularly
relevant in relation to developing a theory of speech production. In grammar,
the notion of potential pause is sometimes used as a technique for establishing
the word units in a language – pauses being more likely at word
boundaries than within words.
paycheck sentence In semantics, a sentence containing a pro-form which is
not co-referential with its antecedent, because the antecedent itself contains
a pro-form. A typical example (from which the term derives) is illustrated by
The man who gave his paycheck to his wife was wiser than the one who gave
it to his mistress. Paycheck sentences provide the primary evidence for ‘lazy
pronouns’ (see pronoun).
peace linguistics In linguistics, a term reflecting the climate of opinion which
emerged during the 1990s among many linguists and language teachers, in
which linguistic principles, methods, findings and applications were seen as a
means of promoting peace and human rights at a global level. The approach
emphasizes the value of language diversity and multilingualism, both internationally
and intranationally, and asserts the need to foster language attitudes
which respect the dignity of individual speakers and speech communities.
peak (adj./n.) In phonetics and phonology, a term used to characterize
a relatively high level of prominence; opposed to valley or trough. In metrical
grid theory, peaks (v. troughs) are rhythm prominences. A trochaic rhythm
starts with a left-edge peak or a right-edge trough; an iambic rhythm starts
with a left-edge trough or a right-edge peak. In optimality theory, the peak
constraint requires that syllables have a vowel. See also sonority, syllable.
pedagogical grammar see grammar (2)
pedagogical linguistics
see educational linguistics
pejoration (n.)
see deterioration
percentage symbol (%) (1) In some approaches to intonational phonology,
in the analysis of boundary tones, a symbol which shows that a tone associates
with the edge syllable of a phrase (H%, L%).
(2) In sociolinguistics, a symbol sometimes used to indicate variation in
acceptability because of dialect or idiolect, as in %I might could do that.