Complex Patterns of Tonal Realization in Taifeng Chinese

Abstract

Taifeng Chinese is a Wu dialect that has the smallest inventory of tones while still preserving checked tones and the voicing contrast in syllable onsets. A previous acoustic study identified four surface tones in isolation as a result of tone split and the merger of tonal categories derived from the Middle Chinese tonal system. Notably, a long Yang Shang tone merged with short checked tones and the Yang Ping tone was realized as two surface tones, subject to regional and age-graded variations. Surface realization of tones in Taifeng is further examined in an acoustic investigation of disyllabic tone sandhi in verb-object (VO) combinations. Analyses of pitch contours and tonal duration from multiple speakers reveal complex patterns of tonal realization in tone sandhi. The tone sandhi in VO combinations is best characterized as the right-dominant pattern, in which the second tone has consistently longer duration and retains its citation form while the first tone is realized in a reduced pitch range with much shorter duration. Tonal realization is also governed by register alternation: the two tones are realized in opposite register specifications. In general, tonal realization in tone sandhi exhibits considerable complexities not observed in monosyllables.