The perception of word-initial consonant length: Pattani Malay.
| Number | 615 |
|---|---|
| Year | 1986 |
| Drawer | 11 |
| Entry Date | 11/17/1999 |
| Authors | Abramson, A. S. |
| Contact | |
| Publication | Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 16, 8-16. |
| url | http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL0615.pdf |
| Abstract | [Introduction] In experimental phonetic research, we often come across cases of multiple perceptual cues to a phonemic distinction, even though this distinction may be seen traditionally as dependent on some single phonetic feature. The question arises as to the relative power of these cues. How equally do they share the burden of communicative relevance? For example, among the several cues that emanate from the timing of the valvular action of the larynx (Lisker and Abramson (1965); Abramson (1977)), fundamental-frequency perturbations (House and Fairbanks (1953)) have been shown by some studies, apparently starting with Haggard, Ambler and Callow (1970) and Fujimura (1971), to help in the perceptual differentiation of voiced and voiceless stop consonants; however, recent work (Abramson and Lisker (1985)) suggests that this cue has very limited efficacy compared with other acoustic consequences of voice timing. The present study is meant to combine the foregoing interest with an attempt to shed further light on the perceptual basis of LENGTH contrasts as found in many languages in which phonologically distinctive functions are borne by the relative durations of vowels (Abramson (1962); Lehiste (1970)) or of the closures and constrictions of consonants (Lehiste (1970)). Discussions of the feature of consonant length usually focus on intervocalic consonants, as in Italian and Estonian. In such cases, it is easy to demonstrate the existence of differences in consonant-closure duration and their perceptual relevance. What is uncommon is to find a language with such a distinction in word-initial, and thus potentially utterance-initial, position. In length distinctions in any context, it is not unlikely that other acoustic features will covary with the duration of the relevant span of speech. Perhaps some of these concomitant features serve as cues together with duration or, in certain circumstances, instead of duration. |
| Notes |
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