Empirical evidence
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Rajaa Aquil
Abstract
Continuous and overlapping sounds in connected speech yield an output that has very few reliable cues to detect word boundaries. This may obscure listeners’ recognition of spoken words. Therefore, investigations to find the processes native listeners use to start lexical access have been the focus in psycholinguistic studies. Segmentation was identified as one of the processes. Research conducted on different languages identified different prosodic units employed in segmentation and the recognition of spoken words. The following paper reports on one of the first studies conducted on Arabic connected speech investigating the role stress plays in the segmentation and recognition of words in spoken Cairene Arabic. Phonologically Cairene Arabic is identified as a stress-timed language. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to validate or refute this classification. Using the ‘word spotting’ technique, the present study found an effect for stress as a segmentation unit, hence providing empirical evidence for the theoretical classification.
Abstract
Continuous and overlapping sounds in connected speech yield an output that has very few reliable cues to detect word boundaries. This may obscure listeners’ recognition of spoken words. Therefore, investigations to find the processes native listeners use to start lexical access have been the focus in psycholinguistic studies. Segmentation was identified as one of the processes. Research conducted on different languages identified different prosodic units employed in segmentation and the recognition of spoken words. The following paper reports on one of the first studies conducted on Arabic connected speech investigating the role stress plays in the segmentation and recognition of words in spoken Cairene Arabic. Phonologically Cairene Arabic is identified as a stress-timed language. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to validate or refute this classification. Using the ‘word spotting’ technique, the present study found an effect for stress as a segmentation unit, hence providing empirical evidence for the theoretical classification.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ Introduction ix
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Part I. Phonetics & phonology
- Empirical evidence 3
- Regressive voicing assimilation in Cairene Arabic 21
- The phonology–syntax interface: 35
- Leading, linking, and closing tones and tunes in Egyptian Arabic – what a simple intonation system tells us about the nature of intonation 57
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Part II. Morphology & syntax
- Arabic agree, silent pronouns, and reciprocals 77
- Mood feature as case licenser in Modern Standard Arabic 127
- Extraction and deletion in Palestinian Arabic comparatives 149
- The verb kan ‘be’ in Moroccan Arabic 167
- Against the split-CP hypothesis 187
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Part III. Language acquisition, learning & contact
- Probability matching in Arabic and Romance morphology 205
- Gender differences in VOT production of Arabic/English bilingual children 245
- Phonological processing in diglossic Arabic 269
- Early acquisition of SVO and VSO word orders in Palestinian Colloquial Arabic 281
- Index 293
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ Introduction ix
-
Part I. Phonetics & phonology
- Empirical evidence 3
- Regressive voicing assimilation in Cairene Arabic 21
- The phonology–syntax interface: 35
- Leading, linking, and closing tones and tunes in Egyptian Arabic – what a simple intonation system tells us about the nature of intonation 57
-
Part II. Morphology & syntax
- Arabic agree, silent pronouns, and reciprocals 77
- Mood feature as case licenser in Modern Standard Arabic 127
- Extraction and deletion in Palestinian Arabic comparatives 149
- The verb kan ‘be’ in Moroccan Arabic 167
- Against the split-CP hypothesis 187
-
Part III. Language acquisition, learning & contact
- Probability matching in Arabic and Romance morphology 205
- Gender differences in VOT production of Arabic/English bilingual children 245
- Phonological processing in diglossic Arabic 269
- Early acquisition of SVO and VSO word orders in Palestinian Colloquial Arabic 281
- Index 293
