Theory of Etymology Review of Related Theories
syllable. Syllable structure may be represented graphically by means of a “tree diagram”. The example the writer shall take is run rʌ n.
r
Ʌ
n Run
Onset Rhyme
r Nucleus Peak Coda
Ʌ
n
From the example above, run r ʌ n, the Onset, Nucleus Peak and
Coda each consist of one segment: the consonant C r occupies the Onset, the vowel V
ʌ is the Peak, and the consonant n is the Coda of this syllable.
A syllable is a phonological unit which is formed of one or more phonemes. According to the book An Introduction to Language 1996,
Every syllable has a nucleus, usually a vowel but it may be a syllabic liquid or nasal. The nucleus may be preceded by one or
more phonemes called the syllable onset, and followed by one or more segments called the coda. The nucleus and coda constitute the
subsyllabic unit called a rhyme.
The same explanation is explained by Asher in the book Encyclopedia of
Language and Linguistics p.3131, 1994, he said that the central position of the
syllable, occupied by the V elements, is normally referred to as the „peak‟
sometimes „nucleus‟. The initial C is called the „onset,‟ and the final C the „coda.‟ A unit called the „rhyme,‟ and consisting of the sequence peak plus coda,
is recognized by many scholars. According to O‟Grady in the book Contemporary Linguistics, all
languages have syllables. The forms of these syllables aregoverned by various kinds of constraints, but certain universal tendencies are observable:
1. Syllable nuclei usually consist of one vowel V
2. Syllables usually begin with onsets
3. Syllables often end with codas
4. Onsets and codas usually consist of one consonant C
As we see these tendencies, we find that the most common types of syllables found in languages take the form CV and CVC p.78; 2010.