A corpus-based analysis of the fortition of the word-initial /ʒ/ in French

Dados Bibliográficos

ID10260596
AutoresDaniel Deng (0000-0001-5389-1706, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume306
Páginas103752-103752
Data de publicação2024-05-15
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoLingua (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0024-3841 • E-ISSN: 1872-6135
EditoraElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.lingua.2024.103752
OpenAlexW4396919122
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas20

Based on data extracted from two French sociolinguistic corpora, ESLO 1 (1968–1971) and ESLO 2 (2008–), this article discusses the case of a new linguistic variation and change in French native speech in France: the fortition of the word-initial fricative /ʒ/. In total, 12,276 occurrences of words beginning with /ʒ/ were identified. Mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine both phonological environments (the preceding phonemes and the coronal status of the preceding phonemes) and social factors (the age, gender, and socioeconomic status of the speakers). The results demonstrate that the fortition of the initial /ʒ/ is influenced by both linguistic and social factors. Notably, the initial fortition in this study was an ongoing change led by men in ESLO 1. However, its use has already spread to both gender groups in ESLO 2. From a diachronic perspective, this study suggests that the observed initial fortition is not a reverse deaffrication process but rather a gradual increase in its natural occurrence

Corpus linguistics · Linguistics · Natural language processing · Word (group theory · Computer Science · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Speech Recognition and Synthesis