flat (adj.)

A term used in LINGUISTICS to refer to a structure which has no HIERARCHICAL constituency. For example, in GRAMMATICAL theory, sentences have a flat STRUCTURE if they lack the NP–VP configuration. NON-CONFIGURATIONAL LANGUAGES with free WORD-ORDER are analyzed as having a flat structure. In PHONOLOGY, a flat analysis of the word cat would be c+a+t, ignoring possible intermediate notions such as ONSET, RHYME, etc.

One of the features of sound set up by Jakobson and Halle in their DISTINCTIVE FEATURE theory of PHONOLOGY, to handle lip-ROUNDING, the opposite being PLAIN. Flat sounds are defined ARTICULATORILY and ACOUSTICALLY, as those involving a relatively narrow mouth opening with accompanying velarization, and a weakening of the high-frequency components of the sound spectrum. Lip-ROUNDED sounds all have the feature [+flat], as would RETROFLEX, velarized and pharyngealized sounds; unrounded sounds are [–flat], as are all sounds lacking these SECONDARY ARTICULATIONS.