Answer to Question #298054 in English for Mthobisi

Question

Name and define one concept you have studied that is used to explain the arbitrariness in spelling and pronunciation in the english language

Answer 1

Arbitrariness is the absence of any natural or necessary connection between a word's meaning and its sound or form. The concepts that are used to explain the arbitrariness in spelling and pronunciation in the English language include;

a] Phonology - is the study of sound patterns and their meanings, both within and across languages. An example of phonology is the study of different sounds and the way they come together to form speech and words - such as the comparison of the sounds of the two "p" sounds in "pop-up.

b] Morphology - is the study of words, how they are formed, and their relationship to other words in the same language. It analyses the structure of words and parts of words such as stems, root words, prefixes, and suffixes.