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In linguistics and related fields, an emic unit is a type of abstract object. Kinds of emic units are generally denoted by terms with the suffix -eme, such as phoneme, grapheme, and morpheme. The term "emic unit" is defined by Nöth (1995) to mean "an invariant form obtained from the reduction of a class of variant forms to a limited number of abstract units". The variant forms are called etic units (from phonetic). This means that a given emic unit is considered to be a single underlying object that may have a number of different observable "surface" representations.
The various etic units that represent a given emic unit of a certain kind are denoted by a corresponding term with the prefix allo- (other, different), such as allophone, allograph, and allomorph.
History and terminology
The first emic unit to be considered, in the late 19th century, was the phoneme. The word phoneme comes from the Greek: φώνημα, phōnēma, meaning "that which is sounded", from the verb φωνέω (phōneō, 'sound'), which comes in turn from the noun φωνή (phōnē, 'sound'). Thus it was originally used (in its French form phonème) to refer simply to a speech sound. But it soon came to be used in its modern sense, to denote an abstract concept. It is by analogy with phoneme that other emic units, such as the morpheme and the grapheme, were named using the -eme suffix. The actual terms "emic unit" and "etic unit" were introduced in 1954 by Kenneth Pike.
The prefix allo- used in terms such as allophone is from the Ancient Greek: ἄλλος (allos, 'other'). This prefix is also used in chemistry.
Examples in linguistics
The following are the most commonly analyzed kinds of emic units in linguistics:
- A phoneme is an underlying object whose surface representations are phones (speech sounds); different phones representing the same phoneme are called allophones of that phoneme. The choice of allophone may be dependent on the phonological context (neighboring sounds), or may be subject to free variation.
- A morpheme is an underlying object whose surface representations are meaningful fragments of language; different fragments representing the same morpheme are called allomorphs of that morpheme.
- A grapheme is an underlying object whose surface representations are graphs (written symbols) [Meletis & Dürscheid, 2022]; different graphs representing the same grapheme are called allographs of that grapheme (the term glyph is used in computing, as a synonym of graph).
Other examples of emic units in various branches of linguistics include the lexeme, grammeme, toneme, chereme, sememe, and tagmeme.
Generalizations outside linguistics
In linguistics a distinction is made between so-called "emic" and "etic" accounts. For example a phonemic description is one expressed in terms of phonemes, whereas a phonetic one is based on the phones actually produced. This distinction was generalized by Pike (1954) and is applied in various social and behavioral sciences. In this general sense, an emic account is one that assumes insider knowledge of a phenomenon (as for example the unconscious awareness of a language's phonemic system that is assumed to be possessed by that language's native speakers). By contrast, an etic account is one based on the observations of an outsider.
See also
- Ideologeme (in sociology, a unit in ideological analysis)
- Meme (acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices)
- Mytheme (in mythology, basic narratological/mythological unit)
- Narreme (in narratology, basic narratological unit)
- Ludeme (in games, basic unit of play)
- Segment (linguistics)
Sources
- Pike, Kenneth Lee (1967) [1954]. Language in relation to a unified theory of the structure of human behavior. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Mouton. OCLC 979752361.
- Brainerd, Barron (1971). Introduction to the mathematics of language study. Elsevier. pp. 136, ff. ISBN 9780444000712.
- Meletis, Dimitrios; Dürscheid, Christa (2022). Writing Systems and Their Use. De Gruyter Mouton. pp. x, 318. ISBN 978-3-11-075783-5.
- Nöth, Winfried (1995). Handbook of Semiotics. Indiana University Press. pp. 183, ff. ISBN 0253209595.
Notes
- for more details, see Phoneme: Background and related ideas
References
This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Emic and etic units news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message In linguistics and related fields an emic unit is a type of abstract object Kinds of emic units are generally denoted by terms with the suffix eme such as phoneme grapheme and morpheme The term emic unit is defined by Noth 1995 to mean an invariant form obtained from the reduction of a class of variant forms to a limited number of abstract units The variant forms are called etic units from phonetic This means that a given emic unit is considered to be a single underlying object that may have a number of different observable surface representations The various etic units that represent a given emic unit of a certain kind are denoted by a corresponding term with the prefix allo other different such as allophone allograph and allomorph History and terminologyThe first emic unit to be considered in the late 19th century was the phoneme The word phoneme comes from the Greek fwnhma phōnema meaning that which is sounded from the verb fwnew phōneō sound which comes in turn from the noun fwnh phōne sound Thus it was originally used in its French form phoneme to refer simply to a speech sound But it soon came to be used in its modern sense to denote an abstract concept It is by analogy with phoneme that other emic units such as the morpheme and the grapheme were named using the eme suffix The actual terms emic unit and etic unit were introduced in 1954 by Kenneth Pike The prefix allo used in terms such as allophone is from the Ancient Greek ἄllos allos other This prefix is also used in chemistry Examples in linguisticsThe following are the most commonly analyzed kinds of emic units in linguistics A phoneme is an underlying object whose surface representations are phones speech sounds different phones representing the same phoneme are called allophones of that phoneme The choice of allophone may be dependent on the phonological context neighboring sounds or may be subject to free variation A morpheme is an underlying object whose surface representations are meaningful fragments of language different fragments representing the same morpheme are called allomorphs of that morpheme A grapheme is an underlying object whose surface representations are graphs written symbols Meletis amp Durscheid 2022 different graphs representing the same grapheme are called allographs of that grapheme the term glyph is used in computing as a synonym of graph Other examples of emic units in various branches of linguistics include the lexeme grammeme toneme chereme sememe and tagmeme Generalizations outside linguisticsIn linguistics a distinction is made between so called emic and etic accounts For example a phonemic description is one expressed in terms of phonemes whereas a phonetic one is based on the phones actually produced This distinction was generalized by Pike 1954 and is applied in various social and behavioral sciences In this general sense an emic account is one that assumes insider knowledge of a phenomenon as for example the unconscious awareness of a language s phonemic system that is assumed to be possessed by that language s native speakers By contrast an etic account is one based on the observations of an outsider See alsoIdeologeme in sociology a unit in ideological analysis Meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas symbols or practices Mytheme in mythology basic narratological mythological unit Narreme in narratology basic narratological unit Ludeme in games basic unit of play Segment linguistics SourcesPike Kenneth Lee 1967 1954 Language in relation to a unified theory of the structure of human behavior Vol 1 2nd ed Mouton OCLC 979752361 Brainerd Barron 1971 Introduction to the mathematics of language study Elsevier pp 136 ff ISBN 9780444000712 Meletis Dimitrios Durscheid Christa 2022 Writing Systems and Their Use De Gruyter Mouton pp x 318 ISBN 978 3 11 075783 5 Noth Winfried 1995 Handbook of Semiotics Indiana University Press pp 183 ff ISBN 0253209595 Notesfor more details see Phoneme Background and related ideasReferencesPike 1967 cited in Noth 1995 p 183 Noth 1995 p 183 Pike 1967
