Elhangzó

Elhangzó is a linguistic term used in Hungarian to denote the actual spoken realization of a linguistic unit in a given context—the surface form that is heard when a word, morpheme, or phoneme is pronounced. It is the audible result of phonetic realization and phonological processes that operate in connected speech, such as assimilation, reduction, or allophony. The concept helps distinguish between abstract representations (like phonemic or orthographic forms) and what is ultimately produced in speech.

Etymology and usage: The word is built from el- (a prefix meaning outward or away) and hangzó (sound, pronounced), roughly translating to “the sound that is uttered.” In Hungarian linguistics, elhangzó is used when analyzing how a unit is realized in actual speech, as opposed to its underlying or written form. It encompasses variations that can arise across dialects, speech styles, and phonetic environments.

Relation to other concepts: Elhangzó corresponds to the widely used idea of the surface form or phonetic realization in linguistics. It is related to, but distinct from, underlying forms, phonemes, or graphemic representations. Discussions of elhangzó often involve how context influences pronunciation, including allophonic variation, coarticulation, and prosodic effects.

Typical scope: The term is most common in Hungarian-language linguistic texts, language pedagogy, and descriptive phonology. It provides a concise label for describing the actual sounds produced in speech, regardless of their abstract representation.

See also: surface form, phonetic realization, allophone, phonology, phonetics.

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