Study of subglottal air pressure in Hindi stop consonants

Abstract

This study examines Ps variations in Hindi bilabial stops. These stops were produced in prestressed and poststressed positions in CVCV, VCV, VC, and CV utterances, where V was either /a/ or /i/. The results show: (1) At closure Ps values are appreciably higher for poststressed than prestressed stops in comparable environments; at release, values are only slightly higher for poststressed than prestressed stops in all cases in the aspirated category and in 50% of the cases in the unaspirated category. (2) In poststressed position, Ps values, at release, are usually appreciably higher for aspirated than for unaspirated stops; in prestressed position, at release, such variations in Ps values are unsystematic. (3) The pattern of Ps values for aspirated versus unaspirated stops at closure, is also unsystematic in both prestressed and poststressed environments. (4) No systematic patterns of Ps values, emerge for voiced versus unvoiced stops in prestressed or poststressed positions at closure or release. (5) For aspirated stops, a drop in Ps (of the degree of 1 cm H2O for unvoiced and 0.5 cm H2O for voiced aspirates) occurs after consonantal release during the aspiratory period. The results of this study are discussed in relation to results of other studies.