No description available.

This study investigated the lenition of the segment /dʒ/ to [j] in Rijal Alhajir dialect of Arabic in different initial, medial, and final phonological environments. A sample of 20 Rijal Alhajir Arabic speakers (10 male and 10 female) was divided into two groups based on the social factor of age: 20-25 (the younger group) and 45-above (the older group). All participants were interviewed individually by the researcher to record the production of the target sound. Forty-eight Classical Arabic words containing the segment /dʒ/ were selected for this investigation. Forty-one words were elicited by showing the participants pictures, and seven words were elicited through casual conversation due to their representing abstract concepts. The results showed the process of lenition in Rijal Alhajir dialect to occur in all phonological environments of interest, except when the target sound occurred in word-final position and was preceded by high long vowels [i:] and [u:]. The results revealed that age was indeed a factor influencing the presence of lenition. The participants from the older group had a significantly higher percentage of lenition in their speech compared to the younger group.

This dissertation explores the phonetics and phonology of voicing and emphatic assimilation across morpheme boundaries and investigates gemination word-medially and word-finally in Rural Jordanian Arabic (RJA). The results reveal that assimilation across morpheme boundaries behaves differently from assimilation across word boundaries in RJA. Vowel duration and vowel F1 were found robust parameters to indicate voicing assimilation. Similarly, F1, F2, and F3 were also adequate correlates to indicate emphatic assimilation. Phonologically, assimilation is best accounted for through the Sonority Hierarchy, Notion of Dominance, and Obligatory Contour Principle. For gemination, consonant as well as vowel durations were found robust acoustic correlates to discriminate geminates from singletons. Phonologically short vowels in the geminate context are significantly shorter than those in singleton context, while phonologically long vowels in geminate context are significantly longer than those in singleton context. The results indicate that the proportional differences between geminates and singletons based on word position and syllable structure are significantly different. Geminates word-medially are one and a half times longer than geminates word-finally. It has also been found that there is a temporal compensation between geminate consonants and the preceding vowels. Phonologically, geminates are best accounted for through prosodic weight rather than prosodic length. / October 2016

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-335).

No description available.

Consonant gemination as a phonological feature plays a major role in the Sinhala language. The absence of true gemination in English causes perception problems for native English speakers when attempting to distinguish minimal pairs in Sinhala created by gemination. This study examined whether native English learners' difficulties in perceiving consonant gemination in Sinhala could be reduced by creating phonological awareness of it through formal training. Four native Sinhala speakers were asked to record thirty-two Sinhala minimal pairs. These recordings were used to set up the audio test instruments. Twenty-four native English speakers participated in the pre-test, a teaching/training session, and the post-test. The pre-test consisted of an AX discrimination task, where the subjects heard two stimuli (A and X) and had to decide if those two stimuli were the same or not. The 20-minute teaching/training session, which was the study's primary independent variable, was given to educate the participants about the gemination contrast in Sinhala. The same audio test was repeated as the post-test. The data analysis included descriptive statistics and a t-test for dependent samples through SPSS statistics version 20. The findings of the study showed a significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test. The data also revealed the teaching/training session to have a high level of effectiveness regarding gemination contrast. Perception of the gemination contrast had increased in the post-test, while perception of words without this contrast had decreased in accuracy, possibly as a result of hypercorrection.

This dissertation uses a variety of approaches to investigate the language in two newspapers from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Each approach can give insights into the question of possible language differences, and eventually the authors' intentions and their ideological background will prove to be more relevant than their geographic origin. A comparative study of metaphors shows how certain recurrent metaphors are used to influence the readers' conceptual reality. While the actual effect of these metaphors cannot be determined, their use reveals the intentions of the authors. An investigation of pronouns and terms of address successfully applies sociolinguistic methods to written texts. A study of letters, speeches, and interviews proves that there is in some cases a conflict between the prescribed norm of an informal pronoun and speaker intuition. The concept of a very narrowly defined part of the language, a Textsorte, is used in an investigation of death notices. Notices from the FRG and GDR show great similarity in phrasing. Differences in content can be explained by the different social realities. Finally, a computer-assisted investigation of word formation and new words yields a small number of new words and shows how the content of a text influences the language, even on the level of the affixes that are used. Suffixes and words that stress collectivity are significantly more frequent in the GDR newspaper, while affixes and words expressing something negative are used more often in the newspaper from the FRG. We can see that various methods can give insights into various aspects of language, and benefits and problems of each method are discussed. Finally, we come to realize that the fear of language separation is unfounded, but that author intention has a greater influence on texts than one might expect.

Ce travail se focalise sur le parler du tarifit de la province de Nador, afin d’étudier la gémination dans cette variante du berbère, parlée au Maroc. Il s’agit d’une investigation articulatoire cinéradiographique et acoustique. Un aperçu général du système phonologique du tarifit est proposé. Dans la revue critique de l’état de la question, nous avons tenté, d’abord, de montrer les différents arguments relatifs à la représentation des géminées en un seul segment ou en une suite de deux segments. Nous avons ensuite évoqué les débats contradictoires sur les notions de tension et de gémination. Notre recherche est conduite dans le cadre du paradigme de la perturbation et des réajustements, en variant la vitesse d’élocution. Les résultats principaux dans le domaine acoustique montrent, pour toutes les consonnes, simples et géminées, produites en vitesse d'élocution normale ou rapide, que la durée de la tenue consonantique est l’indice principal qui permet de les distinguer. Au niveau articulatoire, l’étude du timing des paramètres articulatoires indique, entre autres, que c’est le contact apical, vélaire et uvulaire, plus long pour la géminée, qui est le paramètre préférentiel de la distinction phonologique simple vs. géminée. L’analyse des vues de profil donne les résultats suivants en ce qui concerne l’étendue de contact (mm) : a) l’étendue de contact des occlusives est systématiquement plus importante pour les géminées que pour les simples ; b) l’étendue de contact augmente de la consonne apical, au vélaire (réalisée plutôt palatale), puis à l’uvulaire. Les résultats sont discutés en termes de relations articulatori - acoustiques. / This work focuses on tarifit of the provinces of Nador, in order to study gemination in this variant of Berber spoken in Morocco. This is an acoustic and articulatory X-ray investigation. A general overview of the tarifit phonological system is proposed. In a critical review of the literature, we tried, first, to show the different arguments concerning representation of geminates as one or as a sequence of two segments. We then discussed the contradictory debates on the concepts of tension and gemination. Our research is carried out within the perturbation and readjustments paradigm, by varying speech rates. Main results in the acoustic domain show for all consonants, singletons and geminates, produced in normal or fast speech, that consonantal closure is the main cue that allows distinguishing them. On the articulatory level, the study of the timing of articulatory parameters indicates, among other things, that it is the apical, velar and uvular contact, longer for geminates, which is the preferred parameter of the singleton vs. geminate phonological distinction. Analysis of profile views gives the following results regarding contact extent (mm) : a) contact extent for plosives are systematically larger for geminates than for singletons ; b) contact extent increases as one goes from the apical consonant to the velar (rather palatal) consonant, then to the uvular consonant. Results are discussed in terms of articulatory - acoustic relations.

Orientador: Roberto Usberti / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agricola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T12:29:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CavalcanteFilho_FranciscoNahum_M.pdf: 999790 bytes, checksum: b6fe814b4fe9db3c1d4b9f5196d0287a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: As sementes do gênero Brachiaria apresentam um mecanismo duplo de dormência, mais pronunciado em sementes recém colhidas, conduzindo a valores abaixo dos de viabilidade obtidos pelo teste de Tetrazólio e, deste modo, dificultando a tomada de decisões para o armazenamento, comercialização e fiscalização do comércio dessas sementes. Utilizando-se a tecnologia de detecção das constantes da equação de viabilidade de sementes, baseada em altas temperaturas de armazenamento e graus de umidade constantes, foi possível neste experimento isolar o efeito das temperaturas de 40, 50 e 65°C na liberação da dormência de sementes dos cultivares Marandu, Mulato 1 e Mulato 2 de Brachiaria brizantha, armazenadas com graus de umidade constantes, de 1,9 a 17,8%. As sementes apresentaram altos índices de dormência, detectada pelo teste de tetrazólio e liberada pela escarificação química e parcialmente pelo teste de envelhecimento acelerado. Não foram observadas diferenças para a velocidade de germinação (T50); entretanto ocorreram diferenças quanto ao número de sementes por grama. O padrão das isotermas de sorção e desorção foi semelhante para os cultivares. Os melhores resultados para liberação de dormência a 40°C foram obtidos nos graus de umidade de 9,5 e 8,5% para os cultivares Marandu e Mulato 1, respectivamente; a 50°C foram detectadas liberações de dormência em todos os graus de umidade testados e os melhores resultados foram obtidos para o cultivar Marandu (7,6 e 10,3%) e Mulato 1 (8,3%). As liberações de dormência a 65°C não foram tão evidentes em todos os graus de umidade testados. O cultivar Marandu apresentou maior armazenabilidade durante todo o experimento / Abstract: Brachiaria species normally show a double seed dormancy mechanism, mainly on fresh-harvest seeds, leading to germination percentages lower than those of viability detected by Tetrazolium test, so causing problems as to storage, trading and seed inspection activities. Using the methodology to detect the constants of the viability equation (high storage temperatures and fixed moisture contents) it was feasible in this research to isolate the effects of 40, 50 and 65°C on Brachiaria brizantha cultivars Marandu, Mulato 1 and Mulato 2 seed dormancy releasing, after storage at moisture contents ranging from 1.9 and 17.8%. Seed samples used presented high seed dormancy levels, detected by Tetrazolium test and it was released by chemical scarification and partially by accelerated ageing test. No statistical differences were observed as to speed of germination (T50); however, differences were detected as to number of seed per gram among cultivars. Sorption and desorption isotherm curves were similar for the cultivars. The best results of seed dormancy releasing at 40°C were achieved at 9.5 and 8.5% moisture content, for cultivars Marandu e Mulato 1 respectively; seed dormancy releasing results were obtained at 50°C for all moisture content studied and the best results were achieved for cultivars Marandu (7.6 e 10.3%) and Mulato 1 (8.3%). At 65°C seed dormancy releasing results were not clear. The cultivar Marandu presented higher storability than the others throughout the experiment / Mestrado / Tecnologia Pós-Colheita / Mestre em Engenharia Agrícola

本篇論文旨在從優選理論(Optimality Theory)來探討日語中的英語外來語。所研究的問題有四個，包括英語詞彙日語化過程中的語音代換(segmental substitutions)與音韻調整(phonological modifications)的現象，英語輔音韻尾促音化(consonant gemination)的現象，以及外來語截短(loanword truncation)現象的研究。在語音代換方面，基於過去以對比分析(Contrastive Analysis)的研究只重視英日語間音與音的對應，然共通語法(Universal Grammar)為當代語言學研究的主要目標，因此本文以優選理論這一針對共通語法所提出的當代音韻學理論中的制約(constraints)排行與違反的概念來重新分析。在本文中，語音代換主要是起因於共通語法下的音段標顯性制約(segmental markedness constraints)、極大性制約(MAX-IO)、及特徵一致性制約(IDENT[F] constraints)在日語語法中排行的結果。在音韻調整方面，日語主要是以元音添加(vowel epenthesis)來處理英語韻尾輔音及輔音群。過去的分析將元音添加視為是一種規則(rules)運作的結果，然這種分析仍需要制約的概念。有鑑於此，本文純以制約的排行與違反來分析這個現象。在本文中，音韻調整及元音添加主要是起因於共通語法下的一組音節結構完好性制約(syllable wel-formedness constraints)與極大性、依循性制約(DEP-IO)在日語中排行的結果所致。在英語韻尾輔音促音化方面，由於許多過去的研究將此一現象歸因於是模仿英語原字，特別是其閉音節結構的結果。根據此一看法，本文主張此一現象乃是起因於與韻尾輔音相關的音拍一致性制約(IDENT[m])因模仿英語原字這一目的而獲得優先被滿足權。也就是當其排行高於反孳生輔音制約(anti-gemination constraints)時，就會導致促音化的現象。在外來語的截短現象方面，過去學者的分析引發不少的問題，如Suzuki(1995)根據優選理論所提出的分析卻與Ito(1990)的統計結果相矛盾等。有鑑於此，本文作者亦進行外來語截短詞包括長度、音節類型、截短方向及重音等的統計。根據這一統計結果，本文將截短現象分成「最小截短」與「非最小截短」。兩者各由其相關的制約排行所控制。此外，本文並指出日語外來語的「最小截短」能驗證emergence of the unmarked (McCarthy and Prince 1994, 1995b, 1997)這一主張。 / This thesis aims to study English loanwords in Japanese within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky 1993, McCarthy and Prince 1993ab). It deals with four issues: the segmental substitutions and phonological modifications in loanword nativization, consonant gemination, and loanword truncation. The segmental substitutions are attributed mainly to the Japanese-specific ranking of the UG segmental markedness constraints, together with the higher ranked MAX-IO. The choices of substitute sounds are mainly determined by the rankings of lDENT[F] constraints in Japanese. The phonological modifications are attributed mainly to the Japanese-specific ranking of the UG syllable well-formedness constraints. In addition, vowel epenthesis as a way of modification is prompted by the dominance of MAX-10 over DEP-IO. As for consonant gemination, it is not motivated by any native requirements in Japanese, and thus results from a conscious effort to imitate English source forms by having lDENT[μ] acquire a priority to be respected. That is, when it dominates the anti-gemination constraints, consonant gemination takes place. Finally, on the basis of the statistical results, the present study distinguishes two kinds of truncation: the minimal and non-minimal truncations. In the minimal truncation, FTBIN and NONFIN(σ) are responsible for the accented LL and HL output patterns while in the non-minimal truncation WDBIN and MAX-BT lead to the unaccented four-mora outputs as well as LLL outputs.