Systematization of criteria for establishing the status of Chilean Spanish phonetic, phonological, and base forms: a reserach and teaching tool

Authors

  • Gastón Salamanca Gutiérrez Universidad de Concepción
  • Edgardo Cifuentes Becerra Universidad de Concepción
  • Mauricio Figueroa Candia Universidad de Concepción

Abstract

In this study, the criteria that underlie the processes for establishing the status of phonetic, phonological, and base forms of phonic linguistic data are presented in an explicit and systematized manner by means of a series of ordered steps--an algorithm. The steps of the algorithm are: (a) determining the phonetic status of sounds of articulatory origin; (b) distinguishing between segments and sequences; (c) grouping of suspect phones; (d) determining groups of allophones and  distributions; (e) determining the base form of the phoneme; and (f) other processes of phonetic-phonological  interpretation. All theoretical-methodological discussions are supported with current examples and/or real cases of Chilean Spanish that are difficult to resolve, thus demonstrating the reliability of the theoretical options that undergird each step of the algorithm. Finally, the algorithm’s function is summarized and schematized by means of a flow chart.

Keywords:

phonetics, phonology, phones and phonemes of Chilean Spanish, algorithm