Transcript Gradual Implementation of l-vocalization: A Hypothetical case for Aranese

Gradual Implementation of
l-vocalization: A Hypothetical case for Aranese
Sidney Martin Mota
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this research is to study the perception of lvocalization and draw some conclusions about the underlying
mechanisms that may have caused this sound change in a variety of
Occitan called Aranese. l-vocalization is a common phonological change
whereby a lateral approximant becomes a velar approximant which is
commonly identified as a high back vowel /u/ and which must have been
implemented gradually as a result of several factors, some of which this
study controls for. This study provides perceptual evidence for a gradual
historical implementation of l-vocalization.
Introduction
Aranese and l-vocalization:
Aranese:the Occitan spoken
in the Val d’Aran
(map from www.occitania.org)
Diachronic change: word final and preconsonantal l>u
(l-vocalization)e.g. Sau, cèu, naut, caucar, fautar,...
Vulgar Latin: already cases of l>u as in “caucular”
Lingual configuration for l>u: velarized /l/, consisting of a TD
and then TT sequence. If the TT is “altered”, the lingual
2
configuration is similar to that for /u/.
Introduction
Similarities in the lingual configuration of
dark /l/ and /u/
dark /l/
palate
tongue
alveolar
ridge
/u/
palate
tongue
alveolar
ridge
Introduction
Hypotheses
Is the implementation of l-vocalization
a gradual process?
H1: the perception of l-vocalization varies as a function of
phonetic context.
H2: the perception of l-vocalization varies as a function of
speech rate.
Method
Perception Test
- 10 Aranese subjects listened to a speaker of Català
Oriental uttering the following phrases (5 repetitions x 2
speech rates):
Cal tocar
Cal tintar
Gel tocat
Gel tintat
Cal colar
Cal quillar
Gel colat
Gel quillat
Cal polir
Cal pintar
Gel polit
Gel pintat
Method
-Aranese listeners were asked to identify Aranese and
Catalan tokens by completing a questionnaire:
e.g. 1 a) Catalan
b) Aranese
Cal colar
Cau colar
-controlled variables:
V l#C V
1
/a/ //
2
/k/ /t/ /p/
Speech Rate:
2
/u/ /i/
fast and normal
-all the tokens identified as Aranese were pooled and
PERCENTAGES were employed to explore the data.
atu_f
apu_n
aki_f
eku_n
atu_n
ati_n
aku_n
aku_f
epu_n
aki_n
epi_n
apu_f
epu_f
eti_n
eki_f
epi_f
eki_n
eku_f
etu_f
api_n
ati_f
etu_n
api_f
eti_f
Results
Bar-graph showing number of vocalized /l/
percepts out of 50 for each sequence :
50
40
30
20
10
0
7
Results
Bar-graph showing percentage of vocalized /l/ percepts as
a function of speech rate:
60
50
40
30
Percent
20
10
%
0
fast
normal
fast
rate
normal
RATE
Results
Bar-graph showing percentage of vocalized /l/ percepts as a
function of Consonant 2 (C2):
50
40
30
20
10
%
0
k
C2
cons_2
/k/
p
/p/
t
/t/
Results
Bar-graph showing percentage of vocalized /l/ percepts as a
function of speech rate within C2:
80
60
40
C2
cons_2
20
/k/
k
%
/p/
t /t/
p
0
f ast
fast
rate
normal
RATE
normal
Results
Bar-graph showing percentage of vocalized /l/ percepts as a
function of Vowel 1:
100
80
60
40
20
%
0

e
a
vowel_1
/
VOWEL 1
//
Results
Bar-graph showing percentage of vocalized /l/ percepts as a
function of Vowel 2:
70
60
50
40
30
20
%
10
0
i
vowel_2
/i/
u
VOWEL 2
/u/
Discussion and Conclusions:
H1
H1: the perception of l-vocalization varies
as a function of phonetic context.
-as a general trend in l#C: l#k (43.9%)>l#t (29.8%)>l#p (26.3%)
- fast rate: l#k (51.9%)>l#t (33.3%)>l#p (14.8%)
- al#C (78.4%)> el#C (21.6%)
- l#Cu (63.7%)> l#Ci (36.3%)
H2
H2: the perception of l-vocalization varies as a
function of speech rate.
- l#t fast (52.9%)>l#t normal (47.1%)
- l#k fast (56%)>l#k normal (44%)
Discussion and Conclusions:
•Some conditions favor l-vocalization more than others =
evidence for GRADUAL HISTORICAL IMPLEMENTATION.
•Factors which may have effected l-vocalization in Aranese
(Gascon)
V l#C V
1
a> 
2
k>t>p
u>i
2
RATE
fast >normal
Discussion and Conclusions:
•Effect of C2:hypothesized underlying mechanisms triggering the
perception of l-vocalization (Browman & Goldstein, 1989):
l#k: TT reduction
l#t: TT blending
l#p: TT overlapping

•Effect of V1: /a/ is less fronted and lower than /
/ thus
possibly prioritizing the tongue dorsum gesture of following /l/
•Effect of V2: LIP ROUNDING of /u/ MAY HAVE
OVERLAPPED THE TONGUE DORSUM GESTURE OF /l/,
thus enhancing the perception of /u/ (e.g. al#tu fast > al#ti fast)
Discussion and Conclusions:
/ti/
/tu/
•Position of lips before
uttering “tintar” and
“tocar”.
•Lip-rounding possibly
activated before tongue
tip/blade reaching dental
region.
•FUTURE RESEARCH:
•Correlate acoustic and articulatory analyses with perceptual data.
•REFERENCES:
•Browman, C. & Goldstein, L. (1989). Articulatory Gestures as Phonological Units. Phonology (6), 201-251.
•Recasens, D. (1996). An Articulatory-Perceptual Account of Vocalization and Elision of Dark /l/ in the Romance languages.
Language and Speech. 39(1), 63-89.