Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon
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Esther L. Brown
Abstract
Reduced pronunciation variants of words commonly arise in discourse contexts promoting lenition. Words differ in their likelihood of occurrence in reducing contexts. We test whether words’ cumulative exposure to reducing environments significantly predicts phonological reduction in experimentally elicited data. Cumulative exposure is measured as the proportion of times words arise in phonetic contexts promoting reduced pronunciation variants (FRC). Results of instrumental analyses of the 503 Spanish word-initial /d-/ tokens produced by 18 native speakers show significant correlations between articulatory strength of the onset consonant (d-) and words’ production histories (FRC), independent of the production context. Additionally, linear modeling reveals a significant effect of FRC in predicting onset intensity. Results suggest a cumulative effect on the lexicon of words’ production histories.
Abstract
Reduced pronunciation variants of words commonly arise in discourse contexts promoting lenition. Words differ in their likelihood of occurrence in reducing contexts. We test whether words’ cumulative exposure to reducing environments significantly predicts phonological reduction in experimentally elicited data. Cumulative exposure is measured as the proportion of times words arise in phonetic contexts promoting reduced pronunciation variants (FRC). Results of instrumental analyses of the 503 Spanish word-initial /d-/ tokens produced by 18 native speakers show significant correlations between articulatory strength of the onset consonant (d-) and words’ production histories (FRC), independent of the production context. Additionally, linear modeling reveals a significant effect of FRC in predicting onset intensity. Results suggest a cumulative effect on the lexicon of words’ production histories.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
