An Acoustic Study of the Tongue Root Contrast in Degema Vowels

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5850366
AutoresSean A Fulop (University of Port Harcourt), Ethelbert E Kari (0000-0003-3522-3469, University of Port Harcourt), E Kari (Phonetics Laboratory , Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., USA; b Department of Linguistics and African Languages , University of Port Harcourt , Nigeria), Peter Ladefoged (University of Port Harcourt)
Ano1998
Volume55
Fascículo1-2
Páginas80-98
Data de publicação1998-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPhonetica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0031-8388 • E-ISSN: 1423-0321
EditoraKarger Publishers (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.1159/000028425
PMID9693345
OpenAlexW1966172813
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas21
Referências citadas21

Degema is an Edoid language of Nigeria whose ten vowels are organized phonologically into two sets of five. The two sets are thought to be differentiated by the degree of tongue root advancing. This paper examines the acoustic nature of these vowels as represented in field recordings of six speakers. The most consistent acoustic correlate of the tongue root contrast was found to be the first formant frequency which consistently distinguishes four of the five vowel pairs, the exception being the two low vowels. Three of the five pairs could also be distinguished by F2 , though the direction of the difference was not consistent. Additionally, a comparison of corresponding advanced and retracted vowels using a normalized measure of relative formant intensity demonstrated that this correlate could also distinguish them in general, but only operated reliably in two of the five vowel pairs. The pair of low vowels could not be distinguished from each other by any of these measures. Finally, a perceptual study was conducted which demonstrates that Degema speakers do not classify their vowels very well using formant frequencies as the sole acoustic variable; only the two pairs of mid vowels were reliably singled out by native listeners from an array of synthesized vowels

Nasal vowel · Root (linguistics · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Speech and Audio Processing · Speech Recognition and Synthesis