The rhythm of Hul’q’umi’num’

Abstract

This research explored the linguistic rhythm of Hul’q’umi’num’, a dialect of the Coast Salish Hul’q’umi’num’-Halq'emeylem-həəmiə language, and initiated phonetic documentation of it. Rhythm was analyzed from an audio file of an Elder telling a story. The story was segmented and phonetically transcribed using acoustic analysis software (Praat), and rhythm was measured based on the segmentation. Rhythm metrics demonstrated that consonantal intervals of Hul’q’umi’num’ patterned like no other documented language (according to ΔC and VarcoC). In terms of vocalic intervals (%V, ΔV, and VarcoV), Hul’q’umi’num’ patterned in the same rhythmic category as English (“stress-timed”). Interestingly, several differences emerged between the segmentation-based phonetic transcription and the transcription provided by language experts, such as consonant cluster elisions, loss of glottal stops, and vowel alternations. Further investigation of their systematicity and effects on Hul’q’umi’num’ rhythm as a whole is needed to understand what components of the language give it its unique rhythm.This research explored the linguistic rhythm of Hul’q’umi’num’, a dialect of the Coast Salish Hul’q’umi’num’-Halq'emeylem-həəmiə language, and initiated phonetic documentation of it. Rhythm was analyzed from an audio file of an Elder telling a story. The story was segmented and phonetically transcribed using acoustic analysis software (Praat), and rhythm was measured based on the segmentation. Rhythm metrics demonstrated that consonantal intervals of Hul’q’umi’num’ patterned like no other documented language (according to ΔC and VarcoC). In terms of vocalic intervals (%V, ΔV, and VarcoV), Hul’q’umi’num’ patterned in the same rhythmic category as English (“stress-timed”). Interestingly, several differences emerged between the segmentation-based phonetic transcription and the transcription provided by language experts, such as consonant cluster elisions, loss of glottal stops, and vowel alternations. Further investigation of their systematicity and effects on Hul’q’umi’num’ rhythm as a whole is needed to un...