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Title:
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Patternings of Vocalic Sequences in the World's Languages
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Author:
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Kathy Sands
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Email:
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click here to access email
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Degree Awarded:
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University of California, Santa Barbara
, Linguistics Department
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Degree Date:
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2004
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Linguistic Subfield(s):
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Phonetics
Phonology
Typology
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Director(s):
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Ian Maddieson
Matthew Gordon
Carol Genetti
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Abstract:
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The sequencing of vowels and glides in the world’s languages is clearly not arbitrary. Some vocalic sequences occur with great frequency, others rarely, and some not at all. The objectives of this research are to determine patternings of vocalic sequences in the world’s languages and to provide explanation for these patternings on the basis of phonetic and phonological motivations. Two interwoven sonority principles and two principles of Dispersion Theory provide the theoretical context of explanation.
Most studies of vocalic sequences have focused on diphthongs in a single language, investigating questions unrelated to sequencing. Prior cross-linguistic studies of patternings are few, with limitations in database scope, size, or reliability. This study makes a unique contribution in its typological approach and breadth of scope. It examines patterns across languages in a representative database of forty-two languages constructed for this purpose. It transcends various diphthong definitions, extends beyond vowels to include glides, and extends beyond diphthongs to include triphthongs. The inclusion of these trivocalics is a particular strength, providing a unique window on the expanded possibilities of patternings over three positions.
The primary patterns are as follows: (1) At least one member of each pair of adjacent vocalics is high, with trivocalic “edge” positions occupied by high vocalics; (2) sequences of back rounded vocalics are dispreferred; (3)
trivocalics which alternate in backness are dispreferred; (4) the middle element of trivocalics matches the following vocalic in backness; (5) sequences which maximize acoustic distance overall are most preferred.
We find that the strongest principle underlying these patterns is the Dispersion Theory principle of maximizing distinctiveness. The more distinctive the vocalics are from one another, the better. While both sonority and effort considerations clearly have an effect in shaping the patternings of vocalic sequences, the best sequences are those which are most salient for the listener.
This study establishes that Dispersion Theory principles are operative in syntagmatic data (vowel sequences) as well as in paradigmatic data (vowel inventories). This study also suggests that the sonority findings encapsulated by the Sonority Dispersion Principle may in fact reflect a broader pattern across the syllable, a “Distinctiveness Dispersion Principle.”
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