linguistic question

Question

ana says: q occurs after back vowels k appears elsewhere

bo says it other way around k after

why are they wrong use specific examples (the ipa forms of language x) to support your claim?

what is the right generalization?

Answer 1

I found a more complete version of your question here: https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/2-consider-following-data-g-uvular-voiceless-stop-enaq-enok-ilado-nsik-tree-house-drum-buy-q44268728

Wyzant is not a place where we do your homework for you, but I can give you some pointers.

First, why is Ana wrong? Does [k] appear after a back vowel anywhere in the data?

Next, why is Bo wrong? Does [q] appear at the end of a word anywhere in the data?

Lastly, when looking for the correct generalization, ask yourself: "In what environment(s) does [q] always appear, but [k] never does? Or, in what environment (s) does [k] always appear, but [q] never does?

Once you have figured out the environment(s), ask yourself how you can describe the environment as a natural class or location (like "before high vowels" or "syllable-finally").

This is exactly the kind of problem I like to work with students on. If you would like to book a session, I can help you hone the skills you need to feel comfortable and confident solving this type of problem on your own.

Don't give up! You can expect this type of homework question to take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.

Remember that to disprove a generalization you only need one contradictory data point. But to present a valid generalization, all the data points must be consistent with your hypothesis.

Good luck!

Elizabeth