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The Effects of Post-Velar Consonants on Vowels in Nuu-chah-nulth: Auditory, Acoustic, and Articulatory Evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Ian Wilson
Ian Wilson*
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia/University of Aizu
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Abstract

Previous phonetic documentation of Nuu-chah-nulth consonant-vowel interactions has either solely relied on transcriptions or has been incomplete in some other respect. Using auditory, acoustic, and articulatory evidence, this article documents the effects of all post-velar consonants on all vowels. Results show that /i/ and /i:/ almost always have a schwa offglide before the uvular and pharyngeal stops, but not always before the fricatives. When these vowels follow uvulars and pharyngeals (with the exception of the labialized uvular), they are usually lowered and do not have a schwa offglide. Ultrasound data confirm that the tongue root is active in articulating uvular and pharyngeal consonants and that the schwa off-glide occurs because the tongue is moving through a schwa-like configuration on its way from the high front vowel to the retracted consonant. The vowels /u/ and /u:/ are lowered and/or diphthongized following (but not preceding) pharyngeals, and they are unaffected by uvulars.

Résumé

Résumé

Les études phonétiques antérieures sur l’interaction des consonnes et des voyelles en nuu-chah-nulth se sont basées exclusivement sur des transcriptions ou ont été incomplètes à d’autres égards. En utilisant des données auditives, acoustiques et articulatoires, cet article documente les effets de toutes les consonnes post-vélaires sur toutes les voyelles. Les données démontrent que /i/ et /i:/ sont presque toujours relâchés vers un schwa devant les occlusives uvulaires et pharyngiennes, mais que ce relâchement n’est pas toujours présent devant les fricatives. Lorsque ces voyelles apparaissent après les uvulaires et les pharyngiennes (exception étant faite de l’uvulaire labialisée), elles sont généralement abaissées et non pas relâchées vers un schwa. Les données ultrasonores confirment que la racine de la langue est active dans l’articulation des consonnes uvulaires et pharyngiennes et que le relâchement vers le schwa est dû au déplacement de la voyelle haute avancée vers la consonne rétractée, occupant au passage une configuration qui ressemble à celle du schwa. Les voyelles /u/ et /u:/ sont abaissées et/ou diphtonguées suivant (mais non pas précédant) les pharyngiennes et elles ne sont pas altérées par les uvulaires.

Type
Part II: Phonetic and Phonological Properties
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 52 , Issue 1-2: Southern Wakashan Languages , July 2007 , pp. 43 - 70
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 2007

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