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Transposition, neutralization and reduction of oppositions - Coggle Diagram
Transposition, neutralization and reduction of oppositions
Transposition
Definition: Transposition refers to the shift or change in the relationship between linguistic elements, altering the way oppositions are expressed.
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Active-Passive Voice Transposition: "She ate the cake" (active) -> "The cake was eaten by her" (passive).
Direct-Indirect Speech Transposition: "She said, 'I am tired'" (direct) -> "She said that she was tired" (indirect).
Neutralization
Definition: Neutralization occurs when a previously distinctive opposition loses its distinctiveness in certain linguistic contexts.
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Example: In French, the final consonant sounds are often neutralized in casual speech, as in "les chats" [le ʃa] (the cats) where the final "s" is not pronounced.
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Example: In English, the neutralization of gender occurs in the possessive form "its" (neutral for both "his" and "her").
Reduction
Definition: Reduction involves the simplification or elimination of oppositions in language over time.
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Example: Old English had more distinct words for "you" (thou/thee/your) compared to Modern English (you/your).
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Significance
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Language Typology: Helps classify languages based on their tendencies towards transposition, neutralization, or reduction.
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Reduction: English (no gender distinction) vs. German (masculine, feminine, neuter) vs. Spanish (masculine, feminine).