Acoustic and aerodynamic factors in the interaction of features
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Maria-Josep Solé
Abstract
This paper presents an account of the physical factors responsible for crosslinguistically common patterns of co-occurrence between values of the features [voice] and [nasal]. Specifically, it offers explanations for why nasals are typically voiced and why voiced obstruents are often accompanied by nasalization, or in terms of features, why [+voice] and [+nasal] co-occur so often and in such a variety of ways. First, it addresses the acoustic-auditory factors responsible for glottal vibration favoring the perceptibility of nasalization. Second, it examines the aerodynamic factors responsible for nasality facilitating glottal vibration. In particular, it suggests that nasal leakage is a maneuver to facilitate voicing in the stop and to preserve the voicing contrast. The paper also argues that if the interaction between the two features can be explained by phonetic principles, then there is no need to encode the patterns of co-occurrence as redundancy rules or constraints in universal grammar. Furthermore, phonological representations that assign the nasal valve and the larynx to separate nodes cannot capture the interaction between nasality and voicing and the co-occurrence patterns.
Abstract
This paper presents an account of the physical factors responsible for crosslinguistically common patterns of co-occurrence between values of the features [voice] and [nasal]. Specifically, it offers explanations for why nasals are typically voiced and why voiced obstruents are often accompanied by nasalization, or in terms of features, why [+voice] and [+nasal] co-occur so often and in such a variety of ways. First, it addresses the acoustic-auditory factors responsible for glottal vibration favoring the perceptibility of nasalization. Second, it examines the aerodynamic factors responsible for nasality facilitating glottal vibration. In particular, it suggests that nasal leakage is a maneuver to facilitate voicing in the stop and to preserve the voicing contrast. The paper also argues that if the interaction between the two features can be explained by phonetic principles, then there is no need to encode the patterns of co-occurrence as redundancy rules or constraints in universal grammar. Furthermore, phonological representations that assign the nasal valve and the larynx to separate nodes cannot capture the interaction between nasality and voicing and the co-occurrence patterns.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Between phonetics and phonology
- Schwa in American English V+/r/ sequences 15
- Perception of word stress in Castilian Spanish 35
- Do complex pitch gestures induce syllable lengthening in Catalan and Spanish? 51
- Cues to contrastive focus in Romanian 71
- The phonetics of sentence-initial topic and focus in adult and child Dutch 91
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Part II. Segmental and prosodic interactions
- Prosodic structure and consonant development across languages 109
- Rhythmic and prosodic contrast in Venetan and Sicilian Italian 137
- Stem boundary and stress effects on syllabification in Spanish 159
- Prosodic and segmental effects on vowel intrusion duration in Spanish /rC/ clusters 181
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Part III. Interactions between segments and features
- Acoustic and aerodynamic factors in the interaction of features 205
- Fixed and variable properties of the palatalization of dental stops in Brazilian Portuguese 235
- Post-tonic vowel harmony in some dialects of Central Italy 247
- Vowel reduction and vowel harmony in Eastern Catalan loanword phonology 267
- Index of Subjects and Languages 287
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Between phonetics and phonology
- Schwa in American English V+/r/ sequences 15
- Perception of word stress in Castilian Spanish 35
- Do complex pitch gestures induce syllable lengthening in Catalan and Spanish? 51
- Cues to contrastive focus in Romanian 71
- The phonetics of sentence-initial topic and focus in adult and child Dutch 91
-
Part II. Segmental and prosodic interactions
- Prosodic structure and consonant development across languages 109
- Rhythmic and prosodic contrast in Venetan and Sicilian Italian 137
- Stem boundary and stress effects on syllabification in Spanish 159
- Prosodic and segmental effects on vowel intrusion duration in Spanish /rC/ clusters 181
-
Part III. Interactions between segments and features
- Acoustic and aerodynamic factors in the interaction of features 205
- Fixed and variable properties of the palatalization of dental stops in Brazilian Portuguese 235
- Post-tonic vowel harmony in some dialects of Central Italy 247
- Vowel reduction and vowel harmony in Eastern Catalan loanword phonology 267
- Index of Subjects and Languages 287
