Mok Peggy P K
Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Leung Kau Kui Building, Chinese University of Hong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Lang Speech. 2013 Jun;56(Pt 2):191-209. doi: 10.1177/0023830912443948.
This study tests the output constraints hypothesis that languages with a crowded phonemic vowel space would allow less vowel-to-vowel coarticulation than languages with a sparser vowel space to avoid perceptual confusion. Mandarin has fewer vowel phonemes than Cantonese, but their allophonic vowel spaces are similarly crowded. The hypothesis predicts that Mandarin would allow more coarticulation than Cantonese. Eight native speakers of Cantonese and of Beijing Mandarin were recorded saying the target sequences /pV1 1pV2pV3/ (V = /i a u/) in carrier phrases. F1 and F2 frequencies were measured at vowel edge and midpoint, and were normalized for analyses. The results show that Cantonese and Mandarin do not differ in degree of vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in either F1 or F2. In addition, unstressed vowels exhibit more coarticulation than stressed vowels. Carryover coarticulation exceeds anticipatory coarticulation in both F1 and F2. Unstressed vowels in the carryover position are the most susceptible to coarticulation. The results show that vowel inventory does not predict vowel-to-vowel coarticulation. Fundamental assumptions of the output constraints hypothesis are evaluated to explain its failure in predicting language-specific patterns of vowel-to-vowel coarticulation. The importance of syntagmatic relationships in coarticulation is also discussed.
本研究检验了输出限制假说，即音位元音空间拥挤的语言与元音空间较稀疏的语言相比，元音间的协同发音会更少，以避免感知混淆。普通话的元音音位比粤语少，但其音位变体的元音空间同样拥挤。该假说预测，普通话比粤语允许更多的协同发音。记录了8名粤语母语者和北京普通话母语者在载体短语中说出目标序列/pV1 1pV2pV3/（V = /i a u/）的情况。在元音边缘和中点测量F1和F2频率，并进行归一化分析。结果表明，粤语和普通话在F1或F2中的元音间协同发音程度没有差异。此外，非重读音节的元音比重读音节的元音表现出更多的协同发音。在F1和F2中，延续性协同发音超过预期性协同发音。延续位置的非重读音节元音最容易受到协同发音的影响。结果表明，元音库存并不能预测元音间的协同发音。对输出限制假说的基本假设进行了评估，以解释其在预测特定语言的元音间协同发音模式方面的失败。还讨论了组合关系在协同发音中的重要性。
