This thesis studies the role of contrast distinctiveness in sound changes. Perceptual experiments are conducted to investigate the distinctiveness between Mandarin sibilants (dental s ts ts{02B0}, palatal {0255} t{0255} t{0255}{02B0}, and retroflex {0282} t{0282} t{0282}{02B0}). The experiment results are then adopted to account for the diachronic developments of Mandarin sibilants and the apical vowels {027F}, {0285} (syllabic approximants homorganic to the preceding dental/retroflex sibilants). / In Mandarin CV syllables, the apical vowels {027F}, {0285} are in complementary distribution with the vowel i: {027F} follows the dental s ts ts{02B0}; {0285} follows the retroflex {0282} t{0282} t{0282}{02B0}h (and the approximant {0279}); i follows the palatal {0255} t{0255} t{0255}{02B0} and other consonants. As reconstructed in previous studies, this distribution was developed from a series of sound changes since Middle Chinese (MC, circa the 7th century), when MC had dental, palatal, and retroflex sibilants but no apical vowels. Part of MC syllables, whose onsets were these sibilants, merged their rimes into -i. In these syllables, MC palatals merged into MC retroflexes, while the rimes -i developed into / after the dental/retroflex sibilants. In a later stage, palatal sibilants re-emerged before the vowel i in the palatalization of dental sibilants and velar obstruents. Through these developments came Mandarin 'sibilant+i/{027F}/{0285}' syllables. In these changes, a diachronic pattern can be observed, i.e. the avoidance of contrastive dental vs. palatal sibilants before the vowel i. This thesis argues that, this pattern can be attributed to the tendency for human languages to enhance contrast distinctiveness, in addition to the articulatory accounts given in previous studies. / Conducting two experiments, this thesis examines the perceptual distinctiveness between Mandarin sibilants, in isolation and in CV sequences. The results generally support the claim that apical {027F} and {0285} enhance the distinctiveness between the sibilants. Applying these results to the diachronic sound changes, this thesis argues that speech perception has interacted with articulation to ensure contrast distinctiveness of the sound system. / This thesis provides experimental evidence for sibilant distinction, and supplies a case study on diachronic sound changes, where speech perception and articulation interacted to achieve contrast distinctiveness. / 本文通過對普通話音[si字形為: '口'在左, '絲'在右] (齒音 s ts ts{02B0}、齶音{0255} t{0255} t{0255}{02B0}和捲舌音 {0282} t{0282} t{0282}{02B0})的聽覺實驗研究，探討對比清晰性 (contrast distinctiveness)在歷時語音變化中的作用，用聽覺實驗的結果來解釋普通話[si字形為: '口'在左, '絲'在右]音和舌尖元音 {027F}, {0285} (注:與齒音、捲舌音同部位的元音 )的歷史發展。 / 在普通話 CV音節中，舌尖元音 {027F}, {0285} 和前高元音 i呈現互補分佈：舌尖元音{027F}出現在齒音 s ts ts{02B0}後面，舌尖元音{0285} 出現在捲舌音{0282} t{0282} t{0282}{02B0} (以及捲舌通音 {0279})後面，前高元音 i出現在齶音 {0255} t{0255} t{0255}{02B0}和其他輔音後面。根據以往的漢語歷史音韻研究，這個互補分佈是從漢語中古音 (Middle Chinese)經歷一系列語音變化發展而來。部分以中古音的齒音、齶音、捲舌音為首音(onset)的音節中，原本不同的韻 (rime)合併為 -i，並最終發展為普通話中的"[si字形為: '口'在左, '絲'在右]音 +i{027F}/{0285}音節。從中古音開始，這些音節中，齶音併入捲舌音，同時一部分齒音和捲舌音後面的 -i韻音變為舌尖元音。在接下來的發展階段中，軟齶阻塞音 (velar obstruents)和齒音都在元音 -i的前面齶化爲 {0255} t{0255} t{0255}{02B0}。在這些歷時音變中，有一個的規律的模式，即：在元音-i之前，齒音與齶音不形成對立。本文認爲，除去前人研究中的語音發音作用之外，這個發展模式也是由語音系統傾向於清晰對立的趨勢造成的。 / 通過聽覺實驗，本文研究了普通話[si字形為: '口'在左, '絲'在右]音(單獨音段和 CV音節)之間的聽覺對比清晰度。實驗結果總體上支持舌尖元音加強了普通話音間的對比清晰度的觀點，並發現不同類型的音之間顯示出不同的對比清晰程度。本文將這些實驗結果應用於歷時音變的分析，認爲聽覺感知和言語發音相互作用，保證了歷時音變中語音系統的對比清晰性。 / 本文希望能夠為對比清晰度的研究提供聽覺實驗依據，並為對比清晰性在歷時音變中的作用和聽覺與發音的交互提供一個個案研究。 / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Li, Mingxing. / "Dec., 2011." / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-120). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; appendixes includes Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Mandarin sibilants and apical vowels --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- The reconstructed historical development --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- The role of contrast distinctiveness in sound change --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- The contents of this thesis --- p.6 / Chapter 2 --- Previous studies on Mandarin sibilants and apical vowels --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- The phonetics of sibilants and apical vowels --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Sibilants --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.1.1 --- Articulation --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.1.2 --- Acoustic properties --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Apical vowels --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Articulation --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Acoustic properties --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- The phonetic status of apical {027F}/{0285} --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- The phonology of apical vowels --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Apical {027F},{0285} as underspecified and derived --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Apical {027F} {0285} as a phoneme different from the vowel i --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Apical {027F}, {0285} and the vowel i as in one phoneme --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Sibilants and apicals: The reconstructed diachrony --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The historical development: An overview --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- The sibilants in Middle Chinese --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1.2 --- The MC syllables developing into Mandarin 'sibilant+{027F}/i/{0285}' --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1.3 --- The rime merge into -i --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.1.4 --- The three sound changes --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Palatal Retroflexion --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Apical vowel formation --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- The formation of apical vowels --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Apical vowels as place assimilation --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.3.3 --- Apical vowels as loss of rime -i --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Dental and velar palatalization --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.4.1 --- Velarpalatalization as articulatory assimilation --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.4.2 --- Dental palatalization as articulatory assimilation --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- A summary of the sound changes --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- A summary --- p.29 / Chapter 3 --- Contrast distinctiveness in sound changes --- p.30 / Chapter 3.1 --- Thediachronic pattern from MC to Mandarin --- p.30 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Thedisfavor on dental vs. palatal sibilants --- p.30 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Typologyofdentalvs.palatalsibilantsamong Chinesedialects --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2 --- Distinctiveness of contrast between Mandarin sibilants --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Dental vs. palatal sibilants: Distinctiveness of contrast --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Distinctiveness of contrast in phonology --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Distinctiveness between segments --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Distinctiveness in phonotactics --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Distinctiveness in phonological alternation --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Distinctiveness between Mandarin sibilants --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3 --- Contrast distinctiveness in the diachrony: The hypotheses --- p.38 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Palatal Retroflexion --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Contrast distinctiveness in apical vowel formation --- p.40 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Apical vowels conditioned by contrast --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Dentals vs. retroflexes: Distinctiveness before the vowel i --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.2.3 --- Contrastive dentalsvs. retroflexes before the vowel i --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.2.4 --- More on place assimilation --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Contrast distinctiveness in dental palatalization --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- Contrast distinctiveness in Dental Palatalization --- p.47 / Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Distinctiveness vs. assimilatory palatalization --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Implicational relation and dental/palatal distinctiveness --- p.49 / Chapter 3.4 --- A summary --- p.50 / Chapter 4 --- Distinctiveness between sibilants: The perceptual experiments --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1 --- Distinctiveness between sounds: Previous experiments --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Previous studies on consonant distinctiveness --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Perceptuality of Mandarin sibilants --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2 --- Experiment I: Distinctiveness between sibilants --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Objective --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Method --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Stimuli --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Subjects --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Procedure --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- The effect of stimuli order --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Distinctiveness between sibilants --- p.56 / Chapter 4.3 --- Experiment II: Distinctiveness between 'sibilant+i' sequences --- p.58 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Objective --- p.58 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Method --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- Stimuli --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- Subjects --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.2.3 --- Procedure --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- The results --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.3.1 --- The presentation order --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.3.2 --- ‘Sibilant+i' sequences --- p.63 / Chapter 4.3.3.3 --- ‘Sibilant+i' pairs vs. isolated sibilant pairs --- p.64 / Chapter 4.3.3.4 --- ‘Sibilant+{027F}/i/{0285}' sequences --- p.64 / Chapter 4.3.3.5 --- ‘Sibilant+i’ pairs vs. ‘sibilant+{027F}/i/{0285}’ pairs --- p.65 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summarizing the experimental results --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The four hypotheses --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Distinctiveness between different types of stimuli --- p.67 / Chapter 5 --- Contrast distinctiveness and articulation in sound change --- p.68 / Chapter 5.1 --- Contrast distinctiveness in Mandarin diachrony --- p.68 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Palatal Retroflexion --- p.68 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Apical Vowel Formation --- p.69 / Chapter 5.1.2.1 --- Apical {027F}/{0285} as induced by contrast distinctiveness --- p.69 / Chapter 5.1.2.2 --- Apical {027F}/{0285} as enhancement of dental retroflex contrast --- p.70 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Dental palatalization --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2 --- Sound changes triggered by contrast distinctiveness --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Enhancement of distinctiveness through merge --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Sacrifice of contrast to avoid less distinctiveness --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Vowel allophony for consonant distinctiveness --- p.73 / Chapter 5.3 --- The interaction of speech perception and articulation --- p.74 / Chapter 5.4 --- A summary --- p.76 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusions --- p.77 / Chapter 6.1 --- A summary of the contents --- p.77 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations and directions of future research --- p.78 / Chapter Appendix I: --- Development of sibilants and apical vowels --- p.80 / Chapter Appendix II: --- Typology of apical vowels in 124 Chinese dialects: A summary --- p.81 / Chapter Appendix III: --- Typology of apical vowels in 124 Chinese dialects: Full list --- p.83 / Chapter Appendix IV: --- Waveforms and spectrograms of the stimuli --- p.95 / Chapter Appendix V: --- List of stimuli pairs in the record --- p.103 / Chapter Appendix VI: --- Marking sheet for the experiments --- p.104 / References --- p.110
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:cuhk.edu.hk/oai:cuhk-dr:cuhk_328787 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Contributors | Li, Mingxing., Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate School. Division of Linguistics. |
| Source Sets | The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Language | English, Chinese, Chinese |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, bibliography |
| Format | electronic resource, electronic resource, remote, 1 online resource (ix, 120 leaves) : ill. |
| Rights | Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International” License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) |
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