Onset Clusters Research Articles

Temporal Coordination of Articulatory Gestures in Nonnative Onset Clusters: Evidence From American English Speakers Using Electromagnetic Articulography.

Research in cross-language speech production indicates that, although the production of nonnative consonant clusters is often difficult, speakers of American English can produce some nonnative clusters (e.g., /fn/) with high accuracy. This ease of production for select nonnative clusters may occur due to similarity of phonetic structure with native clusters (e.g., nonnative /fn/ and native /sm/ are both fricative-nasal sequences). The current study tested this hypothesis by examining the extent of transfer of articulatory coordination from phonetically similar native onset clusters (i.e., /fl/, /sm/) to nonnative /fn/ clusters. Using electromagnetic articulography, lip, tongue, and jaw movements were recorded in nine participants during the production of 22 nonwords (eight tokens per nonword) containing the native and nonnative clusters in different carrier phrases. We examined the temporal lags between each consonantal gesture in a cluster and the flanking vowel gesture, which were compared to the matched singleton conditions. Analyses revealed that, as in native speech, when the syllable onset became more complex (i.e., CV ➔ CCV [C as consonant, V as vowel]), there was an increase in lag (less temporal overlap) between the leftmost consonantal gesture and the vocalic gesture, whereas there was a decrease in lag (more temporal overlap) between the rightmost consonant and the vocalic gesture (i.e., C-center timing). However, the segmental makeup of the cluster and type of carrier phrase used were also found to influence this change in temporal organization, raising new questions for future research. By and large, the findings are in agreement with the idea that the temporal coordination of articulator movements may be transferred from native clusters to phonetically similar nonnative clusters. However, kinematic measures of a broader range of nonnative clusters in different contexts are needed to fully explore this position.

Correspondence of Consonant Clustering with Particular Vowels in German Dialects

Recent work found a correspondence between consonant clustering probability in monosyllabic lexemes and the three vowel types, short and long monophthong and diphthong, in German dialects. Furthermore, that correspondence was found to be bound to a North–South divide. This paper explores the preferences in consonant clustering of particular vowels by analyzing the PhonD2-Corpus, a large database of phonotactic and morphological information. The clustering probability of the diphthongs is positively correlated with frequency while the other vowels showed particular preferences that are not positively correlated with frequency. However, all of them are determined by a threefold pattern: short monophthongs prefer coda clusters, diphthongs onset clusters and long monophthong are balanced. Furthermore, it was found that this threefold pattern seems to have evolved from an originally twofold pattern (short monophthong prefers coda clusters and long monophthong and diphthong prefer onset clusters) in Middle High and Low German. This result is then further considered under the aspect of the compensation of the syllable weight and moraicity. Furthermore, some interesting parallels with the syllable vs. word-language typology framework are noted.

An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of Syllable Structure in Najdi Arabic

This paper provides a constraint-based analysis of the syllable structure of onset consonant sequences in Najdi Arabic, spoken in central Saudi Arabia. Unlike Classical or Standard Arabic, Najdi is believed to allow consonant clusters in the onset. The study tested two assumptions. The first is that Najdi onset clusters result from a vowel deletion process, leading to different kinds of clusters with distinct sonority hierarchies and that these form complex onsets. The second is that Najdi inputs are different from Classical or Standard Arabic, in which there is no vowel in the underlying representation and hence no deletion occurs, resulting in simplex onsets. The paper adopted optimality theory to analyze the data, considering a phenomenon that occurs in the speech of Najdi speakers. Following this framework, constraints were utilized to demonstrate the syllable structure of the onset clusters in Najdi according to the above assumptions. The results revealed consonant sequences rather than consonant clusters, meaning the consonants were not parsed in the same syllable, agreeing with previous acoustic research.

Variability in English-Spanish bilingual phonotactics

Spanish prohibits initial sC clusters. Past studies have reported that this phonotactic restriction results in the perception of an illusory /e/, ‘repairing’ the illicit sequence (e.g., spid perceived as espid). Because English allows sC clusters, English-Spanish bilinguals are confronted with conflicting phonotactic systems. The present study investigated if this locus of phonotactic conflict yields bilingual variability (i.e., non-monolingual-like language behavior). Spanish monolinguals and English-Spanish bilinguals performed a nonce word judgment task, whereby they assigned acceptability ratings to sC-initial nonce words. Monolinguals were highly unaccepting of sC-initial words, whereas bilinguals were more likely to accept them as phonotactically licit, showing evidence of bilingual variability. The bilingual variability was constrained by English phonotactics, as sC clusters were rated as significantly more acceptable than other illicit onset clusters that are illicit in both languages. Furthermore, the monolinguals failed to show evidence of an illusory vowel effect, highlighting the importance of task type in phonotactic perception studies.

Effects of motor practice on the temporal coordination of articulatory movements for non-native onset clusters: Kinematic and acoustic evidence using electromagnetic articulography

Research on cross-language speech production has shown that part of the challenge of producing non-native clusters arises from difficulties with temporally coordinating the successive consonantal gestures within a cluster. However, it remains unclear whether the application of practice-based motor learning paradigms can improve or stabilize this aspect of non-native cluster production. This study uses electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to measure the effects of motor practice on the temporal coordination of articulatory movements for non-native onset clusters. Monolingual speakers of American English intensively practiced producing monosyllabic sequences containing non-native onset clusters (e.g., MGAT) over two consecutive days. EMA was used to capture lingual, labial, and jaw motion during successive repetitions. For properly-sequenced cluster repetitions, analysis of the EMA sensor trajectories showed that, over the course of practice, there was a general reduction in inter-gestural timing variability and increased overlap between adjacent consonantal gestures. Furthermore, some of these improvements were maintained to the second day, indicating that subjects started forming durable performance gains. Acoustic analyses also showed a reduction in the duration of epenthetic vowel errors (/mgæt/ → /məgæt/) produced throughout practice. Collectively, the findings suggest that motor practice can improve the temporal coordination of articulatory gestures affiliated with non-native clusters.

Postmenopausal bleeding after COVID-19 vaccination

There is a growing literature base regarding menstrual changes following COVID-19 vaccination among premenopausal people. However, relatively little is known about uterine bleeding in postmenopausal people following COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to examine trends in incident postmenopausal bleeding diagnoses over time before and after COVID-19 vaccine introduction, and to describe cases of new-onset postmenopausal bleeding after COVID-19 vaccination. For postmenopausal bleeding incidence calculations, monthly population-level cohorts consisted of female Kaiser Permanente Northwest members aged ≥45 years. Those diagnosed with incident postmenopausal bleeding in the electronic medical record were included in monthly numerators. Members with preexisting postmenopausal bleeding or abnormal uterine bleeding, or who were at increased risk of bleeding due to other health conditions, were excluded from monthly calculations. We used segmented regression analysis to estimate changes in the incidence of postmenopausal bleeding diagnoses from 2018 through 2021 in Kaiser Permanente Northwest members meeting the inclusion criteria, stratified by COVID-19 vaccination status in 2021. In addition, we identified all members with ≥1 COVID-19 vaccination between December 14, 2020 and August 14, 2021, who had an incident postmenopausal bleeding diagnosis within 60 days of vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination, diagnostic procedures, and presumed bleeding etiology were assessed through chart review and described. A temporal scan statistic was run on all cases without clear bleeding etiology. In a population of 75,530 to 82,693 individuals per month, there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of incident postmenopausal bleeding diagnoses before and after COVID-19 vaccine introduction (P=.59). A total of 104 individuals had incident postmenopausal bleeding diagnosed within 60 days following COVID-19 vaccination; 76% of cases (79/104) were confirmed as postvaccination postmenopausal bleeding after chart review. Median time from vaccination to bleeding onset was 21 days (range: 2-54 days). Among the 56 postmenopausal bleeding cases with a provider-attributed etiology, the common causes of bleeding were uterine or cervical lesions (50% [28/56]), hormone replacement therapy (13% [7/56]), and proliferative endometrium (13% [7/56]). Among the 23 cases without a clear etiology, there was no statistically significant clustering of postmenopausal bleeding onset following vaccination. Within this integrated health system, introduction of COVID-19 vaccines was not associated with an increase in incident postmenopausal bleeding diagnoses. Diagnosis of postmenopausal bleeding in the 60 days following receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination was rare.

한국인 영어 학습자의 학습 전ㆍ후 영어 유음 /l/과 /r/의 인지 및 산출

The aim of this study is to analyze errors made in the perception and production of English liquids by Korean college students. For this study, perception and production experiments were conducted with 27 Korean college students(14 males and 13 females). The experiment stimuli tested were /l/ and /r/, occurring in various positions: onset, onset cluster, word-medial, coda, and coda cluster. The results of this study are as follows. First, as a result of the perception experiments, the subjects showed a higher error rate in /r/ than in /l/. Second, in the production experiments, it was found that more errors were made in /l/ than in /r/, contrary to the perception experiment, due to the difficulty of pronouncing the dark [ɫ]. Third, in both the perception and production experiments, the error rate of the coda position was significantly higher and that of the onset cluster was the lowest. In addition, the results of this study proved the general trend seen in second language acquisition. First, in the perception and production of /l/ and /r/ in English, both negative and positive transfer of mother tongue appear. Second, there is a proportional correlation between perception and production in second language acquisition.

Sonority sequencing and its relationship to articulatory timing in Georgian

This work asks how the syllable as a unit is delimited in space and time. To do this we bring together two theoretical approaches to the syllable: a sonority-based approach which emphasizes spatial organization, and the coupled oscillator model (Nam, Goldstein & Saltzman 2009) which emphasizes temporal organization. Many languages present challenges to these theories, and here we focus on Georgian, which is problematic for both approaches, as Georgian permits onset clusters of up to seven consonants and of any sonority shape. Specifically, this study examines the relationship between gestural overlap and sonority shape in Georgian via electromagnetic articulography. Drawing on data from three speakers, we examine gestural overlap in two-consonant onsets that vary in sonority shape and order of place of articulation. Using two measures of gestural overlap, we find (i) long lag between consonant gestures, which we suggest is language-specific and (ii) that lag is largest in sonority rises and smallest in sonority falls. These results suggest that neither phonemic recoverability nor a hierarchical effect of increasingly open constrictions is the primary motivator behind inter-consonantal timing. Instead, the high degree of overlap in sonority falls ensures their tautosyllabic parse, which would otherwise be threatened by intrusive vocoids. Thus, we argue that recoverability of the syllable as a unit is the major motivating factor behind the timing patterns observed, and that syllables emerge not solely from either spatial or temporal properties, but from the interplay of the two.

Early childhood wheezing phenotypes and determinants in a South African birth cohort: longitudinal analysis of the Drakenstein Child Health Study

Developmental trajectories of childhood wheezing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not been well described. We aimed to derive longitudinal wheeze phenotypes from birth to 5 years in a South African birth cohort and compare those with phenotypes derived from a UK cohort. We used data from the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), a longitudinal birth cohort study in a peri-urban area outside Cape Town, South Africa. Pregnant women (aged ≥18 years) were enrolled during their second trimester at two public health clinics. We followed up children from birth to 5 years to derive six multidimensional indicators of wheezing (including duration, temporal sequencing, persistence, and recurrence) and applied Partition Around Medoids clustering to derive wheeze phenotypes. We compared phenotypes with a UK cohort (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children [ALSPAC]). We investigated associations of phenotypes with early-life exposures, including all-cause lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and virus-specific LRTI (respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza, and parainfluenza virus) up to age 5 years. We investigated the association of phenotypes with lung function at 6 weeks and 5 years. Between March 5, 2012, and March 31, 2015, we enrolled 1137 mothers and there were 1143 livebirths. Four wheeze phenotypes were identified among 950 children with complete data: never (480 children [50%]), early transient (215 children [23%]), late onset (104 children [11%]), and recurrent (151 children [16%]). Multivariate adjusted analysis indicated that LRTI and respiratory syncytial virus-LRTI, but not other respiratory viruses, were associated with increased risk of recurrent wheeze (odds ratio [OR] 2·79 [95% CI 2·05-3·81] for all LTRIs; OR 2·59 [1·30-5·15] for respiratory syncytial virus-LRTIs). Maternal smoking (1·88 [1·12-3·02]), higher socioeconomic status (2·46 [1·23-4·91]), intimate partner violence (2·01 [1·23-3·29]), and male sex (2·47 [1·50-4·04]) were also associated with recurrent wheeze. LRTI and respiratory syncytial virus-LRTI were also associated with early transient and late onset clusters. Wheezing illness architecture differed between DCHS and ALSPAC; children included in ALSPAC in the early transient cluster wheezed for a longer period before remission and late-onset wheezing started at an older age, and no persistent phenotype was identified in DCHS. At 5 years, airway resistance was higher in children with early or recurrent wheeze compared with children who had never wheezed. Airway resistance increased from 6 weeks to 5 years among children with recurrent wheeze. Effective strategies to reduce maternal smoking and psychosocial stressors and new preventive interventions for respiratory syncytial virus are urgently needed to optimise child health in LMICs. UK Medical Research Council; The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; National Institutes of Health Human Heredity and Health in Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Wellcome Trust.

The relationship between perception and production of illusory vowels in a second language

Korean learners of English are known to repair consonant clusters, which are not allowed in their native language, with an epenthetic vowel [ɨ]. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether the perception–production link of such an illusory vowel in a second language (L2) is only within and not across processing levels, as proposed in a previous study regarding L2 segments. We assessed the perception and production of English onset clusters by Korean learners and native English speakers at the prelexical (AX discrimination and pseudoword read-aloud tasks) and lexical (lexical decision and picture-naming tasks) levels, using the same participants and stimuli across the tasks. Results showed that accuracy in not producing an epenthetic vowel between the two consonants of onset cluster was not significantly associated with accurate perception of the cluster either within or across processing levels. The results suggest that production and perception accuracy in L2 phonotactics are independent to a certain extent.

All TRs are not created equal: L1 and L2 perception of English cluster affrication

This paper describes a perception experiment with L1 Polish and L1 English listeners on the affrication of initial English /tr/ and /dr/ (TR) consonant clusters. The goal was to test phonological predictions formulated within the Onset Prominence (OP) framework. OP offers two distinct structural configurations for representing rising sonority onset clusters. One predicts synchronous cluster articulation in English, giving rise to affrication, while the other predicts asynchronous cluster articulation in Polish. Two groups of listeners performed a two-alternative forced choice identification task on stimuli that included affricated clusters, unaffricated clusters, affricates, and CəC-initial words. For L1 English listeners, the unaffricated cluster-initial items induced the slowest responses. For L1 Polish listeners, the lack of affrication facilitated cluster identification, while the CəC-initial words induced the slowed responses. The results suggest cross-language interaction by which Polish listeners equate L1 unaffricated clusters with L2 CəC-initial words, in accordance with the OP proposal.

Language and cluster-specific effects in the timing of onset consonant sequences in seven languages

In this paper, we draw on available data from previous experiments to explore cross-linguistic variation in articulatory overlap in CC onset clusters, taking into account the role of cluster composition. Our sample includes articulography recordings of eleven clusters for seven languages. We find that cross-linguistic variability is conditional on cluster composition. Previous suggestions that languages may have individual global articulatory timing profiles for consonant clusters in terms of an overall relatively lower or higher degree of overlap are not confirmed for our sample. All included languages converge on a relatively higher degree of overlap for some of the clusters, whereas only some of the languages additionally extend into the lower overlap range, particularly for stop-sonorant sequences. Manner and voicing are further identified as factors conditioning variation in consonantal overlap. Overall languages differ in their degree of overlap in multi-faceted ways, but the relative effects of cluster composition work in the same direction across languages.

치찰음-파열음 두음 자음군에 관한 재고찰

Syllables have been defined on the basis of the sonority hierarchy principle. For syllable onsets, the sonority tends to rise toward the nucleus of a syllable. Typologically, unmarked onset clusters satisfy the principle. Most of the clusters such as /tl, sl, pr/in English show sonority rise, conforming to the principle. Cross linguistically, a notorious exception to this phenomenon is sibilant-plosive clusters such as /st, sp, sk/. Despite its apparent violation of the principle, sibilant-plosive onset clusters are widely attested across languages. This paper aims to review theoretical issues related to the sibilant-plosive onset clusters, through considerations both of its typological and acquisitional aspects. We conclude the paper by suggesting potential contributions that in-depth research on Korean linguistics can make to the theoretical debates on the sibilant-plosive clusters.

Effects of phonotactic legality on gestural coordination in consonant clusters: An electromagnetic articulography study

Cross-language studies of speech production have shown that English speakers can produce phonotactically illegal onset fricative-nasal clusters (e.g., /fn/) with high accuracy based on acoustic analyses. However, it remains unclear whether the articulatory gestures affiliated with the fricative-nasal segments are produced with comparable gestural timing to native onset clusters (e.g., /sm/, /fl/). We here used electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to investigate whether the production of non-native /fn/ onset clusters exhibits a comparable amount of consonant-vowel gestural overlap to native onset clusters (i.e., /sm/ and /fl/) in nonwords. Previous articulatory investigations have demonstrated that native English onset clusters exhibit an increase in gestural overlap between the vowel-adjacent consonant and the vowel (e.g., SMAGDEEP) when compared to the corresponding singleton (MAGDEEP). We controlled for the vocal tract configuration (e.g., jaw position) by comparing each onset cluster to heterosyllabic sequences consisting of the same consonant sequences (e.g., /sm/ vs /s#m/). While the data collection is still ongoing, the preliminary results (n = 3) suggest that when the complexity of the onset increased, vowel-adjacent consonantal gestures showed greater temporal overlap with vocalic gestures for phonotactically legal sequences (SMAGDEEP versus MAGDEEP) but not illegal sequences (FNAGDEEP versus NAGDEEP).

Phonological Analysis of Errors in the Consonant Cluster System Encountered by Saudi EFL Learners

This study investigates the pronunciation difficulty of selected English consonant clusters (CCs) encountered by Saudi EFL learners. The sample consisted of 134 female Saudi EFL students in their freshman year in the English Department at Najran University. Two instruments were used: a pronunciation test that assessed participants’ CC pronunciations in the onset and coda positions and a questionnaire that explored participants’ attitudes towards their CC pronunciations. This study provides detailed data on the participants’ pronunciation difficulties using Optimality Theory (OT). The results showed that the participants encountered CC pronunciation difficulties in both the onset and coda positions. However, most errors occurred in the coda position, especially for the four-consonant pattern (-CCCC). Participants used different strategies to simplify their CC pronunciations: epenthesis, deletion, substitution, or some combination thereof. Questionnaire data indicated that the participants attributed their pronunciation difficulties to inadequate knowledge of the pronunciation rules, insufficient language instruction, and native-language influence. The participants proffered some remedies to their difficulties, which included doing more pronunciation drills and offering a new course focused primarily on correct pronunciation. OT analysis revealed that onset clusters were mainly influenced by L1 ranking constraints whereas coda clusters were more influenced by universal Markedness constraints. OT indicated that the tendency to satisfy Markedness constraints over the Faithfulness constraints led the participants to use the above-mentioned simplification strategies.

Patterns of Consonant Clusters in Word Initial, Medial, and Final Positions in Yemeni Arabic

Yemeni Arabic (YA) has a significant number of consonant clusters in word initial, medial, and final positions. However, their frequency of usage is not uniform. This study aims to investigate the patterns of consonant clusters in word initial, medial, and final positions in YA and also to find out the most and least frequent clusters in terms of their percentage. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in data analysis in this study. All the words were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). There are features of consonant clusters in Yemeni Arabic which differ from Modern Standard Arabic and some other Arabic dialects. In Yemeni Arabic, there are 29 consonants and 10 vowels, 5 long and 5 short vowels. The maximum number of onset cluster is three (e.g. /∫tsu:q/ “she will drive” while coda cluster is two (e.g. /satˤħ/ “roof”). Furthermore, the maximum number of medial clusters are also two (e.g. /muχ.lsˤu/ “sincere”. The analysis undertaken will throw light on the frequency and percentages of the occurrences of the consonant clusters on the basis of a word list, which is justified with the help of statistical support.

Developmental Sequences in Second Language Phonology: Effects of Instruction on the Acquisition of Foreign sC Onsets

This study investigates the effects of three types of instruction on the acquisition of foreign /s/-initial onset clusters (/sl/, /sn/, and /st/-sC clusters), a process characterized by a developmental sequence in which /sl/ is acquired before /sn/ and /st/. 118 native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese participated in a 4-week language course to learn a set of vocabulary and associated pronunciation of Taki, a self-constructed miniature linguistic system. The participants were divided into three groups, each corresponding to one of the hypotheses that characterize three types of explicit second language instruction: Teachability, Projection of Markedness (Projection), and a combination of the two (Mixed). A mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis of the participants’ production of sC clusters revealed that, in one of the tasks employed (read aloud), the group that focused exclusively on the more marked/st/ (Projection Group) had the best overall performance in the acquisition of the three clusters: this group was able to generalize their knowledge to the sC clusters they were not taught. In general, the results support Zobl’s Projection Model of Markedness for explaining the phonological development of syllable structure, wherein the instructional effect of a focus on the most marked /st/ projects to knowledge of the less marked structures.

Characterizing New-Onset Exudation in the Randomized Phase 2 FILLY Trial of Complement Inhibitor Pegcetacoplan for Geographic Atrophy

To evaluate clinical characteristics of eyes in which investigator-determined new-onset exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD) developed during the FILLY trial. Post hoc analysis of the phase 2 study of intravitreal pegcetacoplan in geographic atrophy (GA). Patients with GA secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), n = 246. Either 15 mg intravitreal pegcetacoplan or sham given monthly or every other month for 12 months followed by a 6-month off-treatment period. Time of new eAMD onset in the study eye, history of eAMD in the fellow eye, presence of double-layer sign (DLS) on structural OCT in the study eye, changes in retinal anatomic features by structural OCT and fluorescein angiography (FA), and changes in visual acuity. Exudation was reported in 26 study eyes across treatment groups over 18 months. Mean time to eAMD diagnosis was 256 days (range, 31-555 days). Overall, a higher proportion of patients with a baseline history of eAMD in the fellow eye (P= 0.016) and a DLS in the study eye (P= 0.0001) demonstrated eAMD. Among study eyes in which eAMD developed, 18 of 26 (69%) had history of fellow-eye eAMD and 19 of 26 (73.1%) had DLS at baseline, compared with 76 of 217 study eyes (35%; P= 0.0007) and 70 of 215 study eyes (32.5%; P < 0.0001), respectively, in which eAMD did not develop. All 21 patients with structural OCT imaging at the time of eAMD diagnosis demonstrated subretinal fluid, intraretinal cysts, or both consistent with exudation. Among 17 patients who underwent FA at eAMD diagnosis, 10 showed detectable macular neovascularization (MNV), all occult lesions. Development of eAMD did not have an appreciable impact on visual acuity, and all patients responded to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Intravitreal pegcetacoplan slowed the rate of GA growth and was associated with an unexpected dose-dependent increased incidence of eAMD with no temporal clustering of onset. Exudative AMD seemed to be associated with baseline eAMD in the contralateral eye and a DLS, suggestive of nonexudative MNV, in the study eye. The safety profile of pegcetacoplan was acceptable to proceed to phase 3 studies without adjustments to enrollment criteria.

Behavioral and Neurodynamic Effects of Word Learning on Phonotactic Repair.

Processes governing the creation, perception and production of spoken words are sensitive to the patterns of speech sounds in the language user’s lexicon. Generative linguistic theory suggests that listeners infer constraints on possible sound patterning from the lexicon and apply these constraints to all aspects of word use. In contrast, emergentist accounts suggest that these phonotactic constraints are a product of interactive associative mapping with items in the lexicon. To determine the degree to which phonotactic constraints are lexically mediated, we observed the effects of learning new words that violate English phonotactic constraints (e.g., srigin) on phonotactic perceptual repair processes in nonword consonant-consonant-vowel (CCV) stimuli (e.g., /sre/). Subjects who learned such words were less likely to “repair” illegal onset clusters (/sr/) and report them as legal ones (/∫r/). Effective connectivity analyses of MRI-constrained reconstructions of simultaneously collected magnetoencephalography (MEG) and EEG data showed that these behavioral shifts were accompanied by changes in the strength of influences of lexical areas on acoustic-phonetic areas. These results strengthen the interpretation of previous results suggesting that phonotactic constraints on perception are produced by top-down lexical influences on speech processing.

Adjacent Consonants and the Universality of Sonority Sequencing Principle in Dotyali Dialects: Syllable Contact Analysis

This paper presents on all the possible adjacent consonant letters in Dotyali, one of the descendant language of Sanskrit, mainly spoken in Shudoor Paschim Nepal [sʊdʊrə-pəssɪmə] (Far-western) and compares the results of their phonological changes in seven local contemporary speech (dialects)：Doteli，Dadeldhuri，Bajhangi，Achhami，Baitadeli，Darchuli and Bajureli. Based on the corpus data from the field survey conducted in between July-September 2017 on a list of 1000 frequently used Dotyali words, this paper comes with a conclusion that even the onset clusters with rising sonority profile (except glides) are broken up by vowel epenthesis or simplify the clusters by deletion. It is revealed that dialects, except from the Achhami and Bajureli, the consonants with different degree of sonority across the syllable boundary tend to be changed due to syllable contact to meet Sonority hierchy, but the sonority distance between two consonants (coda and onset consonants) varies, therefore phonological changes like assimilation, dissimilation, desonorization, contact anaptyxis, contact methasis etc. goes differently. The phonological changes in Bajureli occurs maily due to other separate independent constraints.