http://hdl.handle.net/10106/1175 http://hdl.handle.net/10106/1015 The Acoustic Correlates Of ATR Harmony In Seven- And Nine-vowel African Languages: A Phonetic Inquiry Into Phonological Structure Starwalt, Coleen Grace Anderson This study compares eleven Niger-Congo languages with [ATR] harmony and seeks to determine especially whether the acoustic properties of the "voice quality" differences associated with [ATR] in nine-vowel languages, such as Akan, are present or absent in all, some or none of the seven-vowel languages. Of particular interest is the nature of the height 2 and 3 vowels of the nine- and degree 2 vowels of seven-vowel systems. First, this study corroborates previous work on nine-vowel systems by demonstrating that height 2 vowels [-ATR] [ɪ ʊ] frequently overlap with height 3 vowels [+ATR] [e o]. Next, it considers the question that the two types of seven-vowel systems recognized in African languages - /i e ɛ a ɔ o u/ and /i ɪ ɛ a ɔ ʊ u/ - may be manifestations of a single system. Given that degree 2 vowels of either seven-vowel system (/e o/ or /ɪ ʊ/) overlap in nine-vowel languages, how can we know which system we have? Do the acoustic correlates of [ATR] in nine-vowel systems help us to answer this question or is it reasonable for linguists to use indeterminacy as an argument for new theories of vowel features? Results confirm that F1 is the primary acoustic correlate of [ATR] in both nine and seven vowel systems: [+ATR] vowels have lower F1 mean values than their [-ATR] counterparts. Other acoustic correlates of [ATR], such as bandwidth or "Normalized A1-A2," have some value in understanding the acoustics of systems with [ATR] harmony. Center of gravity, another measure of spectral flatness, also shows promise: [-ATR] vowels have higher center of gravities than their [+ATR] counterparts. Evidence suggests the extreme ends of the center of gravity measures may be more perceptually salient than those in the middle. Speakers of languages with nine underlying or surface vowels tend to exploit center of gravity extremes for one of the [ATR] pairs, but speakers of 7-vowel languages tend to have more neutral center of gravity settings. The latter finding leaves open the door that some speakers of 7-vowel languages may not be manipulating tongue root position in differentiating [ATR] harmony pairs. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:34:52 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10106/986 Questions In American Sign Language: A Quantitative Analysis Of Raised And Lowered Eyebrows Weast, Traci Patricia Although much of linguistic information in American Sign Language (ASL) is conveyed through nonmanual signals, the majority of more than 40 years of research focuses on manual signs. As a result, we are just beginning to understand the role of the face, head, and upper body in signed languages, including eyebrow movement. While researchers generally agree that eyebrows play a role in questions of examined sign languages, they disagree whether upper face nonmanuals are syntactic or prosodic and intonational. Wilbur 2000, 2003 widens the debate to suggest a layered combination in the upper face, where eyebrows represent syntax, and other upper face nonmanuals can simultaneously represent intonation and prosody. The debate over the upper face continues greatly due to a lack of quantitative data, with reliance on only qualitative movement impressions. As a result, ASL curricula do not adequately teach the role of nonmanuals, and ASL questions are often misinterpreted with serious consequences. This research presents the first quantitative analysis of eyebrows and reveals how, despite emotional state, ASL maintains linguistic distinctions between questions and statements through eyebrow height. In this study, six native Deaf participants signed yes/no questions, wh-questions, and statements, each in neutral, happy, sad, surprise, and angry states. Over 3500 measurements of consultant eyebrows were recorded from a total of 270 signed sentences. A mixed model was performed using SAS and the eyebrow levels were also charted on a timed series to see patterns. In neutral, brows for the entire sentence raise or lower, with maximums elevating 21% for yes/no questions and lowering 30% for wh-questions, but emotional questions show variable percent changes. Consistent distinctions across emotional states exist between sentence types, however, that depend on timing and spread of raised and lowered eyebrows. The data expand on the layering of upper face nonmanuals to support a theory for even more complexity on the face, where both sides of the debate have merit, as eyebrows simultaneously represent syntax, grammatical intonation, and other prosodic intonation that correlates to spoken languages. The work suggests that it is not brow furrowing that should be the focus of investigation into consistent patterns, but brow lowering. The data show a first glimpse at eyebrow height attached to signs in ASL, and new information on how raised and lowered eyebrows spread across constituents in ASL questions, with recommendations for curricula improvements. The results also show that ASL nonmanuals should not be compared to pitch in English but instead better correlate to the layering through pitch in tone languages. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:31:16 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10106/970 Sounds Of Chinese Korean: A Variationist Approach Jin, Wenhua This study approaches the understudied Chinese Korean from a variationist perspective, with an aim to capture the variation patterns and potential changes in the sounds of Chinese Korean. More specifically, three variables were examined: the voice onset time (VOT) of stop consonants and front rounded vowels /y/ and /ø/. To discern any variation and change in these variables, 35 native speakers of Chinese Korean were interviewed in three different styles and digitally recorded in the Korean community of Shenyang, China. Results of the analysis reveal the existence of a diachronic VOT shift and the "incrementation" of VOT change in the transmission process within this speech community. /ø/ has completely undergone diphthongization into [we],while /y/ presents a more complicated picture with four different variants: [y], [yi], [i] and [u]. It is suggested that instead of undergoing diphthongization as in Seoul Korean, /y/ in Chinese Korean will remain as an underlying monophthong. Variable rule analysis on the four variants of /y/ reveals that [y] occurrence is more favored by word-initial-syllable position; [yi] as a prestigious form is more favored by female and upper class subjects; [i] is basically a sentence reading style indicator; and [u] as a stigmatized form is more common among lower class subjects and in casual style. The [u] variant is also more likely to occur when the preceding segment is [+back]. While the patterns observed above are explicable as reflexes of language-internal variability, one must also consider the possibility of a role played by language and dialect contact. The "transmission" (Labov 2007) within Chinese Korean as a branch of the Korean family tree justifies the continuity of "Chinese Korean" on its own; the "diffusion" across Korean dialects as in the wave model, however, helps foster its similarity, though to varying extent, to its sister. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:31:14 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10106/945 Kangri In Context: An Areal Perspective Eaton, Robert D. This study is a grammatical description and analysis of the dialect of Pahari known as Kangri, spoken in and around Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India. It presents data for Phonology, Tone, Stress, Morphology, and Syntax and includes feature comparisons with several of the related regional and high domain languages (Hindi, Punjabi, and Dogri), particularly at points where they differ. Special focus is given to issues involving stress assignment and tone. These are shown to be sensitive to different morphological categories, for which the framework of Lexical Phonology is useful in accounting. Various tense/aspect grammatical categories are also discussed, among which there are some unique features in Kangri. There is also a discussion of the copulas used in Predicate Nominal constructions which bear a striking resemblance to English copulas and provides a different analysis of the 'be' verb in both languages. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:31:10 GMT