Glottalisation and neutralisation in Yemeni Arabic and Mehri
-
Janet C.E. Watson
Abstract
We present results of a comparative acoustic analysis of pre-pausal glottalisation in Ṣan‘āni, the Arabic dialect of the old city of Ṣan‘ā, and Mahriyōt, an eastern Yemeni dialect of the Modern South Arabian language Mehri.1 Data are analysed from one speaker of each variety. In the obstruent series, both varieties maintain the three-way voiced – emphatic – voiceless contrast of Proto-Semitic. In Ṣan‘āni, sonorants and voiced and emphatic obstruents glottalise pre-pausally, while voiceless aspirated stops pre-aspirate, leading to neutralisation of the laryngeal contrast between voiced and emphatic obstruents. Our analyses of Ṣan‘āni demonstrate that while oral stops and vowels post-glottalise, other segments tend to pre-glottalise and are prone to lenition, particularly the (non-sibilant) coronals. In Mahriyōt, emphatic and voiced obstruents are glottalised pre-pausally, and voiceless aspirates are heavily post-aspirated. Sonorants and fricatives may be pre-glottalised, but, in contrast to Ṣan‘āni, no lenition is evident. Results also show that while the Mahriyōt velar emphatic is ejective in all positions, the other emphatics become ejective only pre-pausally.
Abstract
We present results of a comparative acoustic analysis of pre-pausal glottalisation in Ṣan‘āni, the Arabic dialect of the old city of Ṣan‘ā, and Mahriyōt, an eastern Yemeni dialect of the Modern South Arabian language Mehri.1 Data are analysed from one speaker of each variety. In the obstruent series, both varieties maintain the three-way voiced – emphatic – voiceless contrast of Proto-Semitic. In Ṣan‘āni, sonorants and voiced and emphatic obstruents glottalise pre-pausally, while voiceless aspirated stops pre-aspirate, leading to neutralisation of the laryngeal contrast between voiced and emphatic obstruents. Our analyses of Ṣan‘āni demonstrate that while oral stops and vowels post-glottalise, other segments tend to pre-glottalise and are prone to lenition, particularly the (non-sibilant) coronals. In Mahriyōt, emphatic and voiced obstruents are glottalised pre-pausally, and voiceless aspirates are heavily post-aspirated. Sonorants and fricatives may be pre-glottalised, but, in contrast to Ṣan‘āni, no lenition is evident. Results also show that while the Mahriyōt velar emphatic is ejective in all positions, the other emphatics become ejective only pre-pausally.
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
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
