South Kyungsang Korean Research Articles

Южно-кёнсанский консонантизм в контексте диалектов корейского языка и языков алтайской макросемьи

This paper compares the data of our acoustic study on the South Kyungsang Korean consonant system with information about consonants of other Korean language dialects (North Korean, Seoul Korean, and Jeju Korean) and languages of hypothetic Altaic language family (Turkic languages of Siberia: Altaic, Teleut, Telengit, Kumandin, Tubin, Chelkan, Shor, Baraba-Tatar, Yakut, Dolgan) found in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to reveal the specifics of the South Kyungsang Korean consonant system within the system of Korean dialects and in comparison with the languages of the Altaic language family using comparative and typological analysis. The material of our study includes 1050 Korean words recorded on a voice recorder from 10 speakers of South Kyungsang Korean. Following the methodology used at the Laboratory of experimental phonetic studies of the Institute of Philology, SB RAS, each word was pronounced by each of the informants four times. We analyzed only the second and the third repetitions in the computer program Speech Analyzer, taking into account the data of oscillograms, spectrograms, f0, and intensity. We have noticed the similarity of the South Kyungsang consonant system with the consonant system of North Korean dialects, suggesting that the South Kyungsang and North Korean dialects have preserved some elements of the ancient Korean language. In addition, we have found the similarity with some consonant systems of Turkic languages due to the opposition of noisy consonants on a quantitative basis and to the blurred boundaries between sonority and noisiness.

An Acoustic Study on the Production of /o/ and /u/ in South Kyungsang Korean

This study investigated the production of /o/ and /u/ in South Kyungsang Korean. Specifically, this study examined whether the two vowels have similar acoustic characteristics, and how social and linguistic factors affect the degree and the direction of this vowel approximation. Twenty-four speakers repeated words with the vowels. The formant values of each production were measured and analyzed. The results revealed /o/s and /u/s were located quite close to each other in vowel spaces. As for the gender effect, the distances between the two vowels were shorter for females than males, and the females’ shorter distances were particularly due to similar F1 values. The analyses also reported that the distances were shorter when the vowels were in word-final positions than in word-medial and word-initial positions. In sum, this study suggests the approximation of /o/ and /u/ in South Kyungsang Korean, whose patterns were consistent with those in Seoul Korean.

The effect of prosodic focus varies by phrasal tones: the case of South Kyungsang Korean

Abstract This study examines the production and perception of corrective focus in South Kyungsang Korean, using phone number strings. It shows that focus prosody varies greatly by tonal pattern (HHL, HLL, LHT, LHL) within phrases. Prosodic focus in High-initial phrases was clearly produced and accurately recognized, compared to that in Low-initial phrases. Additionally, the identification rate of HLL was higher than that of HHL, mainly because the focused initial H of the HHL contrasted with the second H within phrases, in terms of pitch. The results confirm that the encoding of prosodic focus is not uniform within a language; rather, focus prosody within a language can vary depending on the tonal pattern of an utterance.

Prosodic strengthening in reference to the lexical pitch accent system in South Kyungsang Korean

AbstractTheories of the phonetics-prosody interface suggest that prosodic strengthening that arises with prosodic structuring is not simply a low-level phonetic phenomenon, but it serves as a phonetic hallmark of a higher-order prosodic structure in reference to linguistic (phonological) contrast. The present study builds on this theoretical premise by examining acoustic realization of the phonological tonal contrast in the lexical pitch accent system of South Kyungsang (SK) Korean. Results showed that phonetic realization of F0 and the degree of glottalization (as reflected in spectral tilt measures such as H1-A1c and H1-A3c) of vowels in vowel-initial words were systematically modulated by the higher-order prosodic structure, and that the prosodic-structural modulation gave rise to distinct prosodic strengthening effects as a function of the source of prosodic strengthening. In particular, the prominence-induced strengthening (due to focus) entailed a phonetic polarizing effect on the F0 contrast in a way that enhances the phonological High vs. Low tone contrast. The boundary-induced strengthening effect, on the other hand, could be better understood as enhancing the phonetic clarity of prosodic junctures. The distinct prosodic strengthening effects were further evident in the way that glottalization was fine-tuned according to prosodic structure and phonological (tonal) contrast. Prosodic strengthening effects were also found to interact with intrinsic vowel height, implying that the low-level phonetic effect may be under speaker control in reference to higher-order prosodic and phonological contrast systems of the language. Finally, the results informed a theoretical debate regarding whether the Low tone that contrasts with the High tone in word-initial position should be considered lexically specified vs. post-lexical assigned.

한국인 영어학습자의 영어 이중모음 인지 연구 : 경남방언 화자를 중심으로

한국인 영어학습자의 영어 이중모음 인지 연구 : 경남방언 화자를 중심으로

Optimality Theoretic Approach on the Tone Patterns of the Blended Words of South Kyungsang Korean

The purpose of the current study is to examine tonal interaction patterns of blended words in South Kyungsang(SK) Korean in the viewpoint of Optimality Theoretic(OT) approach. From previous research of SK Korean (loanword) compound tone patterns(Lee, 2011, 2013), we observed that the tonal interaction of SK compounds shows fundamental constraints such as the prohibition of long monotone, word initial L tone sequence, and two pitch falls in a prosodic domain. From the basis of the previous study on the tonal interactions of SK blended words(Lee, 2017), this paper investigates whether the OT constraints that were utilized in the tonal interaction analyses of SK compound words can be used in blended word analyses. The results of the present study indicate that the OT constraints of the SK tone system(Lee, 2009), e.g. no word initial L tone sequence, and the prohibition of long monotone (H) words, and of two accents (pitch falls) in a prosodic domain can be utilized in the OT analyses of the SK Korean blended words as well.

Prosodic focus in Seoul Korean and South Kyungsang Korean

This study employed production and perception experiments in an exploration of whether “purely” prosodic marking of focus is weak and ambiguous in...

Tone Patterns of Blended Words in South Kyungsang Korean

Tone Patterns of Blended Words in South Kyungsang Korean

Variation and change in the nominal pitch-accent system of South Kyungsang Korean

This paper considers whether the phonology of the lexical pitch accent of Kyungsang Korean is being maintained by younger innovative speakers. We examine the pitch-accent patterns of nouns with various suffixes by comparing the speech of innovative Kyungsang speakers to that of older conservative speakers. It will be shown that while innovative speakers maintain the underlying distinction in the lexical pitch accent found with conservative speakers, the acoustic difference across the contrastive accent classes is substantially weaker in the speech of innovative speakers, for both noun stems and suffixes. Observation of individual differences in the phonetic realisation of the pitch accent and comparison with tonal patterns of Seoul Korean provide an insight into this sound change, offering evidence for how and why the acoustic distinction has weakened. This study thus documents a process of diachronic change in the prosody of Kyungsang Korean.

A diachronic investigation of the vowels and fricatives in Korean: An acoustic comparison of the Seoul and South Kyungsang dialects

Although the segmental properties of Kyungsang Korean have been known to be distinct from those of standard Seoul Korean, the increased influence of Seoul Korean on the regional variety casts doubt on the homogeneity of the dialect. The current study investigated whether the acoustic properties of the vowels and fricatives in Kyungsang Korean are retained by both younger and older generations through a comparison with Seoul Korean. Results of acoustic analyses with 38 female Korean speakers differing in dialect (Kyungsang, Seoul) and age (older, younger) showed that the younger Kyungsang speakers did not maintain the vowel and fricative features unique to their regional dialect, but rather approximate those of standard Seoul Korean. In the acoustic study of vowels, measures of formant frequencies showed that the younger Kyungsang and Seoul speakers share seven vowels, which result from the split of /ʌ/–/ɨ/ in Kyungsang and the merger of /e/–/ε/ in Seoul Korean. In the acoustic study of fricatives, measures of fricative duration and center of gravity showed that while the two-way fricative contrast is less distinct for older Kyungsang speakers, younger speakers clearly distinguish the two fricatives similar to Seoul speakers. As a consequence of these generational changes in Kyungsang Korean, the six vowels and lack of a fricative contrast exhibited by older generations have given way to seven vowels and a clear distinction between fortis and non-fortis fricatives for younger generations. Based on the similarities in segmental properties between younger Kyungsang and Seoul speakers, it appears that the diachronic sound change is underway in South Kyungsang Korean under the influence of Seoul Korean.

Acoustic evidence for diachronic sound change in Korean prosody: A comparative study of the Seoul and South Kyungsang dialects

This paper examined the acoustic properties of the pitch accent of South Kyungsang Korean, focusing on generational differences. Kyungsang Korean has lexical pitch accents, whereas standard Seoul Korean does not. However, whether the pitch accents are maintained by younger Kyungsang speakers is questionable given the influence of Seoul Korean. Through comparisons between older and younger speakers and between Seoul and South Kyungsang speakers, this study tested if and how sound change occurs in the pitch accent system of the regional dialect, and if the prosody of Kyungsang Korean shifts towards that of non-tonal Seoul Korean. We examined F0 scaling and alignment of pitch accents for the data collected from 40 female Korean speakers (10 younger and 10 older speakers each for Seoul and South Kyungsang dialects). Clear acoustic differences between generations provided evidence for diachronic sound change in the lexical pitch accent of South Kyungsang Korean. First, the differences in F0 scaling and alignment across accent contrasts are less distinct for younger Kyungsang speakers than for older speakers. Second, the F0 peak occurs later for younger Kyungsang speakers across all accent classes, resulting in a final rising accent pattern in disyllables similar to Seoul Korean. Third, despite the similarity with Seoul Korean, results from longer words revealed that Kyungsang Korean is still distinct from Seoul in terms of its maintenance of the lexical pitch accent. Based on these findings, we conclude that the sound change in lexical pitch accent is in progress by satisfying the prosodic properties of both Seoul and South Kyungsang Korean.

A Study on South Kyungsang Korean English Leaners' Perception of English High Vowels

A Study on South Kyungsang Korean English Leaners' Perception of English High Vowels

경남방언 남·여 화자의 영어 고모음 발화에 관한 연구

경남방언 남·여 화자의 영어 고모음 발화에 관한 연구

The nominal pitch accent system of South Kyungsang Korean

The current paper investigates the nominal pitch accent system in South Kyungsang Korean through an acoustic study and presents a phonological analysis for the system based on the acoustic results. The data were collected from four male South Kyungsang speakers by recording monosyllabic and disyllabic nouns with various types of suffixes. The pitch results confirmed the accent distinctions reported in earlier works on the language, and we found that suffixes may also bear contrastive accent. We analyzed the pitch accent system as having three pre-linked accents and one default accent. Two of the pre-linked accents count from the left and are linked to the initial and peninitial moras of the root, respectively, and both spread one mora to the right. The other pre-linked accent counts from the right (penult) and does not spread. This analysis fits in with the culminative tone typology established in Evans (Types of tonal culminativity in language of Sichuan and elsewhere, 2009). An Optimality Theoretic analysis that derives the surface tone patterns for both the default and pre-linked accents is proposed, and the proposal is compared with earlier analyses of pitch accents in North and South Kyungsang Korean.

Tone patterns of loanword compounds in South Kyungsang Korean

Tone patterns of loanword compounds in South Kyungsang Korean

Effects of tone on the three-way laryngeal distinction in Korean: An acoustic and aerodynamic comparison of the Seoul and South Kyungsang dialects

The three-way laryngeal distinction among voiceless Korean stops has been well documented for the Seoul dialect. The present study compares the acoustic and aerodynamic properties of this stop series between two dialects, non-tonal Seoul and tonal South Kyungsang Korean. Sixteen male Korean speakers (eight from Seoul and eight from Kyungsang) participated. Measures collected included VOT, f0 at vowel onset, H1-H2, and air pressure and airflow. The presence versus absence of lexical pitch accent affects both the acoustic and aerodynamic properties. First, Seoul speakers use a combination of f0 and VOT to distinguish the three-way contrast of Korean stops, while Kyungsang speakers mainly use VOT. Second, the presence of lexical pitch for Kyungsang speakers makes f0 an unreliable acoustic cue for the three Korean stops. Third, dialectal differences in VOT to mark the three-way distinction support the notion of a diachronic transition whereby VOT differences between the lenis and aspirated stops in Seoul Korean have been decreasing over the past 50 years. Finally, the aerodynamic results make it possible to postulate the articulatory state of the glottis, indicating a positive correlation with acoustic parameters. Based on the acoustic and aerodynamic results, phonological representations of Korean stops for the tonal and non-tonal dialects are suggested.

Effects of Fundamental Frequency and Duration Variation on the Perception of South Kyungsang Korean Tones

The perception of lexical tones is addressed through research on South Kyungsang Korean, spoken in the southeastern part of Korea. Based on an earlier production study (Chang, 2008a, 2008b), a categorization experiment was conducted to determine the perceptually salient aspects of the perceptual nature of a high tone and a rising tone. The experiment tested the perception of isolated synthetic stimuli, in which the crucial acoustic parameters (i.e., timing of F0 peak, initial F0, and syllable duration) were systematically manipulated. The results are generally consistent with the previous production data, showing that these acoustic cues contribute to the perception of two tones, a high tone and a rising tone. The stimulus tends to be identified as a rising tone if the F0 peak is late in the syllable, the initial F0 is low, and the syllable is long, while the stimulus tends to be identified as a high tone if the F0 peak is early in the syllable, the initial F0 is high, and the duration is short. Each of these three parameters, although necessary, did not contribute equally to the perception of tone contrast. Between-subject variation, according to the participant's gender and language background, is also discussed.

Effects of morpheme boundaries on the timing of fundamental frequency (F0) peaks.

This research examines the effects of morpheme boundaries on the timing of fundamental frequency (f0) peaks and demonstrates that phonetic realization is influenced by morphological structure. It reports the timing of f0 peak and peak plateau in monomorphemic HH (high, high tone) and HL (high, low tone) as well as bimorphemic H+H and H+L in South Kyungsang Korean, spoken in the southeastern part of Korea. The results show that f0 peak came significantly later in bimorphemic H+H than in monomorphemic HH and peak plateau was significantly longer for monomorphemic HH than for bimorphemic H+H. It suggests that f0 peak plateau is implemented more stably within a single lexical item than across a boundary between lexical items. However, a significant morpheme effect was not found in monomorphemic HL and bimorphemic H+L. In accounting for these asymmetrical results, several hypotheses were discussed including speakers hyperspeech effort [H&H theory, Lindblom (1990)], intrinsic vowel height on f0 [Hombert et al. (1979)], and f0 peak delay effect on phonologically suggested H tone spreading [de Jong and McDonough (1993)]. It is proposed that the bimorphemic H+H in this language is the phonetic image of the f0 peak delay effect of high tone.

Tones in the phrases of South Kyungsang Korean: focusing on the monosyllabic and the disyllabic words

Tones in the phrases of South Kyungsang Korean: focusing on the monosyllabic and the disyllabic words

Evidence for accentless words in South Kyungsang Korean

Recent studies help to establish Kyungsang Korean as a pitch accent language, which differs from some traditional works that view it as a tone language. The purpose of the current paper is to discuss whether South Kyungsang (SK) Korean has an accentless class of words like other pitch accent languages i.e., Japanese. In an examination of SK words of different length, we maintain that SK Korean has accentless monosyllabic, disyllabic, and trisyllabic words. We hold that SK Korean is not only a pitch accent language but also one that has an accentless class of words.