Temporal differences in Serbian palatal affricates

Abstract

We report on temporal cues associated with contrastive palatal affricates in Serbian in minimal pairs such as veche evening (apical) and vec’e bigger (laminal). These sounds have been difficult to distinguish using articulatory features. We investigated risetime, rate of rise (ROR), closure duration, release duration and segmental duration in four vowel contexts and two word positions. The apical affricate displays shorter risetime, ROR and closure duration, with longer release duration, while the laminal affricate displays longer risetime, ROR and closure duration, with shorter release duration. While risetime differentiates fricatives from affricates (Howell and Rosen, 1983), and ROR differentiates stops from fricatives (Weigelt et al., 1990), this is the first study to demonstrate risetime and ROR distinguishing two affricates. Rate of rise distinguishes these two affricates from the palatal fricative and alveolar stop allowing for the maintenance of contrast over the three-way distinction. Risetime correlates with closure proportional providing evidence for a universal physical relationship between closure duration and risetime. Differences in closure duration are compensated for by differences in release duration, allowing the overall segmental duration of the two classes of affricates to be similar.