This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Spanish to English
  3. Linguistics

diferencias articulatorias (in this particular context in English)

English translation: articulatory distinctions

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:diferencias articulatorias
English translation:articulatory distinctions
Entered by: Alison Imms

10:41 Feb 28, 2013
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / Phonetics
Spanish term or phrase: diferencias articulatorias (in this particular context in English)
Hello everyone,

A passage in a text I am translating has to do with phonetics. The text as a whole relates to the "duality" of our human existence in that we have the ability to shape our own world through the use of language (based on the linguistic idea of the "signified" and the "signifier"). This part of the text draws a link between all of our conceptions as binary oppositions (good has no meaning without evil sort of thing) and the idea that the components of phonemes also exist as opposing poles on a single axis. I am not very well-versed in phonetics and my question here is whether "diferencias articulatorias" in the following text can be translated as "articulation differences" and whether the same vowels (a, e and i) would apply in English.

Can anyone out there help?


El principio estructurador tanto de la expresión fonológica de los términos como de los componentes de los fonemas son las contraposiciones sobre un eje, v. gr. “b” – “p”; donde “bilabial” sería el eje; y “sorda – explosiva”, sería la contraposición; y por las DIFERENCIAS ARTICULATORIAS, v. gr. “a”, “e”, “i”, etc.


This is my provisional translation:

The structural principle of both the phonological expression of terms and the components of phonemes is that of opposing poles on a single axis, e.g. “p” – “p”, where “bilabial” would be the axis, “voiceless – plosive” the opposition and the ARTICULATION DIFFERENCES would be, for example, “a”, “e”, “i”, etc.


Thank you for your help!
Alison Imms
articulatory distinctions
Explanation:
The idea is that a binary system of individual articulatory distinctions can produce minimal pairs.

(see reference)
Selected response from:

Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Grading comment
Thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2articulatory distinctions
Jim Tucker (X)
3 +1articulatory differences
Margarita Ezquerra (Smart Translators, S.L.)
4Articulatory differences
Anthony Ottey


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
articulatory differences


Explanation:
[PDF]



common representation for vowels and consonants - International ...



www.icphs2011.hk/resources/.../Serniclaes.pdf - Traducir esta página


Formato de archivo: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Vista rápida
de W Serniclaes - Artículos relacionados
The question raised was whether the articulatory differences between vowels and those between consonants can be represented with the same features.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 minutos (2013-02-28 10:48:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------





[PDF]



Today Review of Consonants Vowel articulation Articulatory ...



faculty.washington.edu/.../lect6_phonetics3.pdf - Traducir esta página


Formato de archivo: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Vista rápida
[tʃ] = voiced velar stop voiceless (alveo-)palatal affricate. [g] = LING 200 -- McGarrity. 3. What is the difference between consonants and vowels? □ Articulatory: ...



Margarita Ezquerra (Smart Translators, S.L.)
Spain
Local time: 19:34
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Distinctions is fine too, but you were first.
4 hrs
  -> Gracias philgoddard
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Articulatory differences


Explanation:
I think Articulatory would sound better.



    Reference: http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test2materials/arti...
Anthony Ottey
United States
Local time: 13:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
articulatory distinctions


Explanation:
The idea is that a binary system of individual articulatory distinctions can produce minimal pairs.

(see reference)


    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinctive_feature
Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks for your help!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: "Distinction" is the right word, given that this idea is the whole basis of phonology, as you point out.
1 hr
neutral  philgoddard: I'm not convinced there's any difference or distinction between difference and distinction!
3 hrs
  -> Maybe not much, but the idea is that a different phoneme is the mechanism that "distinguishes" two meanings, an idea not necessarily implicit in difference / Still, EN does think so: think of the expression "distinction without a difference."
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: This is more common in linguistics (my field of graduate study).
11 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search