Tonal contrast in Pa Then : an acoustic phonetic investigation of tonal patterns in monosyllables and disyllables

ความเปรียบต่างของวรรณยุกต์ในภาษาป่าเถิน : การวิเคราะห์กลสัทศาสตร์ของรูปแบบวรรณยุกต์ในคำพยางค์เดียวและสองพยางค์

Name: Williamson, Luke Ian

Organization : Payap University. Department of Linguistics

LCSH: Pa Then language -- Tone

Classification :.DDC: 410

Abstract: Pa Then is a language in the Hmong-Mien family (Glottolog, 2023) spoken in various locations in China and Vietnam. The tonal phonology has been investigated in various locations in China (Mao & Li, 1997) and two in Vietnam (Niederer, 1997; Edmondson, 1992; Edmondson & Gregerson, 2001). Recently, a new dataset has become available on a third Vietnam location: a recorded wordlist (Anonymous, 2019) and accompanying transcriptions (Gehrmann & Saxe, 2022). Gehrmann’s (2021, 2022a) analysis of this data describes tone contrast, while leaving open the question of two possible mergers: A1=A2 and B1=B2=D2. The data also provides an opportunity to check for an occurrence of the Hmong-Mien tendency to presyllables. In particular, the frequent initial syllables ʔa, ta, ka, and tə correspond to cognates in Pa Then in other locations (Niederer, 1997) in a manner that suggests reduction. Drawing on this data for the “third” Vietnam location (Anonymous, 2019), and building on Gehrmann’s (2022a) analysis of tone, this investigation addresses tone contrast and tone realization in certain environments. Through PhonPlotter methodology, including the use of Praatsauce and other scripts, plots are created that visualize the data, in terms of certain correlates of tone: fundamental frequency (F0), spectral tilt (H1*-H2*), cepstral peak prominence (CPP), and voice onset time (VOT). These measures are applied to three subsets of words from the wordlist (Anonymous, 2019), to investigate (a) some tone contrasts which are yet uncertain in final syllables, (b) tone realization in non-final syllables and (c) tone realization in the four specific non-final syllables ʔa, ta, ka, and tə (whether they are reduced or neutralized). The findings suggest that (a) there is evidence to support seven tones, with voice quality distinctions upholding the difference between /A1/ and /A2/ and between /B1/ and /B2-D2/; (b) there is co-articulatory variation of the realization of some of these tones in non-final position; and (c) ka is a presyllable, bearing a falling tone which is reduced (having its pitch fall flattened). This study contributes towards our understanding of the phonetics and phonology of Pa Then in Vietnam. It can be taken into account in future research on the tone and syllable types of Pa Then, and on other levels of analysis (such as morphology). Its findings can also be borne in mind in case of orthography development.

Payap University. Central Library

Address: CHIANG MAI

Email: napat_c@payap.ac.th

Name: Diller, Frederick J.

Role: Advisor

Created: 2024

Modified: 2567-08-20

Issued: 2024-08-20

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

CallNumber: TH. 410 W731T 2024

eng

DegreeName: Master of Arts

Level: Master's Degree

Descipline: Linguistics

Grantor: Payap University

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