Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Key words:
acoustic speech analysis, speech synthesis, speech perception, copulative queclarative,
linguistics, psycho linguistics, human language technology
This study investigates the notion of interrogativity in Xhosa as expressed in the form of
Queclaratives. Queclaratives, or statements which are question-like in function, have
been studied in many languages of the world. Unfortunately with regard to the Bantu
languages, studies relating to interrogativity in general have largely been impressionistic
in nature.
This research comprised two aspects of analysis. These included an acoustic and a
perceptual analysis of data. The reason for this approach is that, without this
combination the results could have been considered to be suspect and lacking in
authenticity.
The acoustic analysis was conducted on 858 words in statement and queclarative pairs.
Significant parameters were extracted and these were then statistically analyzed. The
results revealed that duration on the penultimate vowel, pitch on the penultimate vowel
and the overall raised pitch of queclaratives as opposed to statements were indeed the
acoustically significant parameters differentiating statements from queclaratives.
However as is well known, there is no one-to-one relationship between the acoustic
signal and its perception and, therefore, it is imperative that such findings also be
perceptually tested.
The perceptual testing of these parameters was conducted in an attempt to elicit whether
they were perceptually significant and also at what point in the utterance listeners could
differentiate between queclaratives and statements.
The next progression was the compilation of carefully designed perception tests on the
acoustically significant parameters. Two experiments were compiled using stimuli that
were manipulations of the original signal of one of the selected informant's utterances. These tests were administered on multimedia computers in the Language Laboratory at
the University of Stellenbosch using 64 subjects for the first experiment and 63 for the
second.
The results of the perception tests showed that duration and pitch on the penultimate
syllable are perceptually highly significant in differentiating statements from
queclaratives. However the results also indicated very early recognition of the different
forms with minimal speech segments from which the penultimate vowels were absent
altogether. This then suggests that the perceptual judgements made earlier in the
utterance may be either reinforced or overridden by the duration and pitch on the
penultimate vowel.
These results have assisted in the validation of some impressionistic claims made within
the Bantu and other languages, while refuting others. However, as this corpus of data
has included research on copulative queclaratives, it appeals for further research on this
subject using any other linguistic markers.
The results have also been evaluated in terms of their possible contribution to the
related disciplines of psycholinguistics, linguistics and human language technologies.
In so doing, the thesis makes an urgent appeal to researchers to pursue this experimental
approach to language research. Another appeal is made for an awareness campaign as
to the importance of this approach in harnessing the power of language for the
development of language and society as a whole. The fertility of the South African
society lies in its richness of multilingualism and the necessity for the improvement of
the dissemination of information to all people of all languages and the improvement of
communication between people in general, including those less fortunate in terms of
literacy skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sleutelwoorde:
akoestiese spraakanalise, spraaksintese, spraakpersepsie, kopulatiewe stelvraag,
linguistiek, psigolinguistiek, taal-en-spraaktegnologie
In hierdie projek word die aard van vraagstelling in Xhosa ondersoek met betrekking tot
die stelvraag-vorm. Stelvrae, of stellings wat ook as vrae kan funksioneer, is reeds
bestudeer vir heelwat wêreldtale. Oor die algemeen was studies oor vraagstelling in die
Afrikatale egter grootliks impressionisties van aard.
Hierdie navorsingsprojek het uit twee analisekomponente bestaan, naamlik 'n
akoestiese analise van die data en 'n reeks persepsueie eksperimente. Sonder die
kombinasie van die twee tipes analise sou die resultate van die navorsing minder
kredietwaardig gewees het.
Die akoestiese analise is gedoen op 858 woordpare bestaande uit stellings en stelvrae.
Die data is statisties ontleed en die relevante parameters is onttrek. Die resultate het
daarop gedui dat die duur en toonhoogte van die voorlaaste vokaal sowel as die register
van die hele woord belangrike parameters is in die onderskeid tussen stellings en
stelvrae. Aangesien dit wel bekend is dat daar nie 'n een-tot-een verwantskap tussen die
akoestiese klanksein en die persepsie daarvan is nie, is dit noodsaaklik om ook 'n
persepsueie eksperiment uit te voer. Die persepsueie toetse is so opgestel dat bepaal
kon word watter akoestiese parameters ook persepsueel relevant is en om die vroegste
sillabie te vind waar luisteraars reeds die onderskeid tussen die twee vorme kan maak.
Die volgende stap was om stimuli vir die persepsietoetse op te stel wat inderdaad
bogenoemde resultate sou lewer. Stimuli is geskep deur die spraakdata van een spreker
te manipuleer. Die persepsietoetse is toe uitgevoer op multimedia-rekenaars in die
Taallaboratorium van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch.
Die resultate van die persepsietoetse het gewys dat die duur en toonhoogte van die
voorlaaste sillabe ook persepsueel belangrik is in die ondersekeid tussen die verskillende vorme. Dit was ook duidelik dat proefpersone die vorme van mekaar kon
onderskei met minimale hoeveelhede inligting waar die voorlaaste en laaste sillabes
heeltemal afwesig was. Dit dui daarop dat luisteraars persepsuele besluite baie vroeg in
die woord neem, maar dat hierdie besluite óf versterk óf omgekeer kan word deur die
duur en toonhoogte van die voorlaaste sillabe.
Die resultate van die navorsing het sekere impressionistiese stellings ten opsigte van
Afrikatale ondersteun terwyl ander stellings as foutief bewys is. Een van die belangrike
bevindings was dat die impressionistiese standpunt dat stellings 'n dalende
intonasiekontoer en vrae 'n stygende intonasiekontoer tydens die afloop van die uiting
het, 'n oorvereenvondiging is. Hierdie werk is gedoen op enkelwoord-kopulatief
stelvrae en leen dit daartoe om uitgebrei te word na frases en sinne vir toekomstige
navorsmg.
Verder is die navorsingsresultate in verband gebring met verwante dissiplines soos
psigolinguistiek, linguistiek en taal- en spraaktegnologie. 'n Pleidooi is gelewer vir 'n
bewusmakingsveldtog om die belangrikheid van hierdie tipe navorsing te beklemtoon
om die potensiaal van taal te benut vir die ontwikkeling van Suider-Afrikaanse tale en
gemeenskappe. Die rykheid van ons gemeenskap lê in die veeltaligheid daarvan en bied
besondere uitdagings om die verspreiding van inligting na alle mense van alle tale te
verbeter en om die kommunikasie tussen mense in die algemeen, maar ook spesifiek vir
diegene met laer vlakke van geletterdheid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52426 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Jones, Catherine Jacquelynn Julia |
| Contributors | Roux, J. C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 224 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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