Acoustic analysis of the tones and tone sandhi in Hakka Chinese.

Abstract

This paper analyzes F0 contours of (i) the six citations tones of Hakka Chinese which consist of four long tones that occur on open syllables and closed syllables with a nasal and two short tones on checked syllables and (ii) tone contours on 36 bisyllabic compounds, representing possible permutations of the six citation tones, and 120 commonly used trisyllabic compounds. Based on the F0 data, (i) tone values are assigned to the citation tones and (ii) tone patterns on the bisyllabic and trisyllabic compounds are defined. Tone sandhi rules are formulated, summing up the phonological changes in the citation tones when juxtaposed. Phonetic tonal co-articulations are also examined. The F0 data show that the citation tones may be represented in terms of tone letter as [53 31 33 11] (long) and [5 32] (short). Major tone sandhis include [33] becoming [35] and [53] becoming [55] before [11], [31], or [53]; and before another [31], [31] becomes [33]. Process such as [53 53 53 53] becoming [5 5 5 53] illustrates simultaneous application of tone sandhi to only tones on the non-compound-final syllables, and [5 33 11 53 31] do not undergo tone sandhi before [5] or [33].