Question

7. (LF 3.37) Modern Greek is an Indo-European language spoken in Greece. Examine the sounds [ x ], [ k ], [ ç ], and [ c ] in the following data. [ k ] represents a voiceless velar stop, [ x ] a voiceless velar fricative, [ ç ] a voiceless palatal fricative, and [ c ] a voiceless palatal stop. Which of these sounds are in contrastive distribution, and which are in complementary distribution? State the distribution of the allophones. (22 points)

Answer 1

Contrastive distribution occurs when  two sounds placed in the same context produce different meanings.  This is the case in the sounds [k] and [x] . For example: [kano] 'do' versus [xano] 'lose'.

The same happens with the sounds [ç] and [c]. They are in constrastive distribution as in shown in the following example: [çino] 'pour' versus [cino] 'move

In complementary distribution, where one sound occurs the other cannot.  This is the case in  the sounds [k] and [c] The first sound  (palatal stop) appears before front vowels whereas the second sound (velar stop) appears elsewhere.

The sounds [ç] and [x] are also in complementary distribution. As in the previous example, the palatal appears before front vowels and the velar appears elsewhere