Sociophonetic variation in the alveolar lateral in Yami

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines lateral (/l/) variation in Yami, an indigenous language of Orchid Island, Taiwan. New acoustic evidence on F2–F1 distance and duration shows that palatalized laterals [lj] in Yami are characterized by greater formant distance and longer duration. These acoustic correlates are influenced by a mixed bag of social and linguistic factors, indicating the need for a coordinated assessment of these factors. Results also suggest that in general, younger, less-rooted, and Mandarin-dominant speakers have a narrower formant distance and shorter duration, indicating a less palatal-like /l/ pronunciation. The loss of [lj] among these speakers may be linked to a rapidly changing linguistic ecology, which fuels cross-linguistic transfer from Mandarin, the language of communication with outsiders. Since [lj] only occurs in Yami, younger speakers may have converged towards Mandarin and predominantly use [l]s, leading to a restructuring process in Yami phonology.