"sandhi"의 정의 및 의미

What is "sandhi"?

Sandhi is a phonological process that refers to the changes that occur at the boundaries between words in speech, particularly when words are combined in a sentence. These changes can include alterations in pronunciation, such as assimilation, deletion, or the addition of sounds, to make speech flow more smoothly. For example, in English, the phrase "have to" is often pronounced as "hafta," where the /v/ sound is dropped and the sounds blend together. Sandhi is important in linguistics because it reflects how language is used in natural speech, highlighting the dynamic nature of pronunciation and how it adapts for efficiency and clarity in communication.