Investigating the emphatic feature in Iraqi Arabic
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Zeki Majeed Hassan
Abstract
The secondary place of articulation for Arabic emphatic consonants varies across dialects. This study examines two speakers of Iraqi Arabic, using acoustic evidence, and one speaker of Iraqi Arabic, using direct visual articulatory (transnasal laryngoscopic) evidence, to investigate the phonetic nature of the secondary feature and the prosodic effect of an emphatic consonant over multisyllabic words. The acoustic and laryngoscopic evidence suggests that the articulation of emphatics in Iraqi Arabic involves a modification of the shape of the pharynx which could be called pharyngealisation, which differs, however, from the pharyngeal configuration for producing pharyngeal consonants. While laryngeal constriction, with tongue retraction and larynx raising, characterises pharyngeals, larynx height appears to be low in the secondary articulation accompanying emphatics, while the tongue dorsum appears to be raised, giving the pharynx a singularly contrasting, narrowed configuration to that found in pharyngeals. Furthermore, the effect of an emphatic spreads to all syllables, forwards or backwards, regardless of its position in the word, although the effect is modified or blocked in certain phonotactic conditions.
Abstract
The secondary place of articulation for Arabic emphatic consonants varies across dialects. This study examines two speakers of Iraqi Arabic, using acoustic evidence, and one speaker of Iraqi Arabic, using direct visual articulatory (transnasal laryngoscopic) evidence, to investigate the phonetic nature of the secondary feature and the prosodic effect of an emphatic consonant over multisyllabic words. The acoustic and laryngoscopic evidence suggests that the articulation of emphatics in Iraqi Arabic involves a modification of the shape of the pharynx which could be called pharyngealisation, which differs, however, from the pharyngeal configuration for producing pharyngeal consonants. While laryngeal constriction, with tongue retraction and larynx raising, characterises pharyngeals, larynx height appears to be low in the secondary articulation accompanying emphatics, while the tongue dorsum appears to be raised, giving the pharynx a singularly contrasting, narrowed configuration to that found in pharyngeals. Furthermore, the effect of an emphatic spreads to all syllables, forwards or backwards, regardless of its position in the word, although the effect is modified or blocked in certain phonotactic conditions.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Transliteration and transcription symbols for Arabic xi
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Issues in syntagmatic structure
- Preliminary study of Moroccan Arabic word-initial consonant clusters and syllabification using electromagnetic articulography 29
- An acoustic phonetic study of quantity and quantity complementarity in Swedish and Iraqi Arabic 47
- Assimilation of /l/ to /r/ in Syrian Arabic 63
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Part II. Guttural consonants
- A study of the laryngeal and pharyngeal consonants in Jordanian Arabic using nasoendoscopy, videofluoroscopy and spectrography 101
- A phonetic study of guttural laryngeals in Palestinian Arabic using laryngoscopic and acoustic analysis 129
- Airflow and acoustic modelling of pharyngeal and uvular consonants in Moroccan Arabic 141
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Part III. Emphasis and coronal consonants
- Nasoendoscopic, videofluoroscopic and acoustic study of plain and emphatic coronals in Jordanian Arabic 165
- Acoustic and electromagnetic articulographic study of pharyngealisation 193
- Investigating the emphatic feature in Iraqi Arabic 217
- Glottalisation and neutralisation in Yemeni Arabic and Mehri 235
- The phonetics of localising uvularisation in Ammani-Jordanian Arabic 257
- EMA, endoscopic, ultrasound and acoustic study of two secondary articulations in Moroccan Arabic 277
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Part IV. Intonation and acquisition
- Acoustic cues to focus and givenness in Egyptian Arabic 301
- Acquisition of Lebanese Arabic and Yorkshire English /l/ by bilingual and monolingual children 325
- Appendix 355
- Index 359
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Transliteration and transcription symbols for Arabic xi
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Issues in syntagmatic structure
- Preliminary study of Moroccan Arabic word-initial consonant clusters and syllabification using electromagnetic articulography 29
- An acoustic phonetic study of quantity and quantity complementarity in Swedish and Iraqi Arabic 47
- Assimilation of /l/ to /r/ in Syrian Arabic 63
-
Part II. Guttural consonants
- A study of the laryngeal and pharyngeal consonants in Jordanian Arabic using nasoendoscopy, videofluoroscopy and spectrography 101
- A phonetic study of guttural laryngeals in Palestinian Arabic using laryngoscopic and acoustic analysis 129
- Airflow and acoustic modelling of pharyngeal and uvular consonants in Moroccan Arabic 141
-
Part III. Emphasis and coronal consonants
- Nasoendoscopic, videofluoroscopic and acoustic study of plain and emphatic coronals in Jordanian Arabic 165
- Acoustic and electromagnetic articulographic study of pharyngealisation 193
- Investigating the emphatic feature in Iraqi Arabic 217
- Glottalisation and neutralisation in Yemeni Arabic and Mehri 235
- The phonetics of localising uvularisation in Ammani-Jordanian Arabic 257
- EMA, endoscopic, ultrasound and acoustic study of two secondary articulations in Moroccan Arabic 277
-
Part IV. Intonation and acquisition
- Acoustic cues to focus and givenness in Egyptian Arabic 301
- Acquisition of Lebanese Arabic and Yorkshire English /l/ by bilingual and monolingual children 325
- Appendix 355
- Index 359
