LINGUIST List 25.118
Thu
Jan 09 2014
Diss: Phonetics:
Graetzer: 'An Acoustic Study of Coarticulation
...'
Editor for this issue:
Xiyan Wang <xiyanlinguistlist.org>
Date: 06-Jan-2014
From: Simone Graetzer
<simone.graetzer
unimelb.edu.au>
Subject: An Acoustic Study of
Coarticulation: Consonant-Vowel and
Vowel-to-Vowel Coarticulation in Four
Australian Languages
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Institution: University of Melbourne
Program: School of Languages and
Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2012
Author: Simone Graetzer
Dissertation Title: An Acoustic Study of
Coarticulation: Consonant-Vowel and
Vowel-to-Vowel Coarticulation in Four
Australian Languages
Linguistic Field(s): Phonetics
Subject Language(s):
Arrernte, Eastern (aer)
Burarra
(bvr)
Gupapuyngu
(guf)
Warlpiri
(wbp)
Dissertation Director:
John Hajek
Janet Fletcher
Dissertation Abstract:
Acoustic phonetic experiments were conducted
with the aim of describing
spatial coarticulation in consonants and vowels
in four Australian
languages: Arrernte, Burarra, Gupapuyngu and
Warlpiri. Interactions were
examined between coarticulation and factors
such as consonant place of
articulation (the location of the point of
maximal consonantal constriction
in the vocal tract), the position of the
consonant relative to the vowel
(preceding or following), prosodic prominence
and language. The principal
motivation was to contribute to the
experimental literature on
coarticulation in Australian languages, given
their unusual phonological
characteristics. The results of acoustic
measurements show that in stop
consonant and vowel production, there are
systematic contrasts between
consonant places of articulation, especially
between peripheral (i.e.,
bilabial and dorso-velar) and non-peripheral
categories, and there are
clearly discernible consonant place-dependent
differences in the degree of
vowel-to-consonant and consonant-to-vowel
coarticulation. Additionally,
consonant place of articulation is seen to
strongly modulate vowel-to-vowel
coarticulation. As observed in other languages,
such as Catalan, Italian
and German, the degree of vowel-to-consonant
coarticulation is seen to vary
inversely with the degree of consonantal
articulatory constraint (i.e.,
degree of tongue dorsum raising), as does the
degree of segmental
context-sensitivity. However, findings reported
in this dissertation
suggest that, unlike results reported
previously for European languages
such as English, anticipatory
vowel-to-consonant coarticulation tends to
exceed carryover coarticulation in these
languages. With regard to prosodic
effects on coarticulation, it appears that
prominent vowels do not
typically undergo localised hyper-articulation
or acoustical expansion as
in English, Dutch and German. It is concluded
that these results support
the view that the maintenance of consonant
place of articulation
distinctions is pre-eminent in Australian
languages. The analyses that are
presented contribute to an understanding of the
role of consonant place of
articulation in coarticulation and, more
generally, of the relationship
between the acoustics and the biomechanics of
speech.
Page Updated: 09-Jan-2014