2023 journal article

Acoustic correlates of prominence in Kala Lizu (Tibeto-Burman)

JOURNAL OF CHINESE LINGUISTICS, 51(1), 101–146.

By: K. Chirkova, P. Hou*, R. Chirkova* & A. Amelot

author keywords: Prosodic; prominence; Stress; Tone; Lizu; Tibeto-Burman
Source: Web Of Science
Added: April 11, 2023

ABSTRACT:This study investigates acoustic correlates of prominence in Lizu (Tibeto-Burman). Lizu has been argued to have a hybrid prosodic system combining lexical tone on monosyllabic words and prominence patterns with stress-like and tonal characteristics on polysyllabic words, although empirical evidence is lacking. This study presents an acoustic investigation of the pitch patterns on disyllabic words in the Kala variety of Lizu (HL, HH, LH). Using the parameters of duration, intensity, and f0, it attempts to sort out different forms of prominence, and to explore their interaction with lexical tone. The measurements are taken from experimental data with eight Lizu speakers (4 male and 4 female). The acoustic results and statistical analyses suggest that the first syllable in Kala Lizu is the position of prominence in all three pitch patterns. Our results are consistent with interpreting the pitch pattern HL as more stress-like (with intensity as an acoustic correlate of stress) and the pitch patterns HH and LH as more tone-like (with stress cued by full realization of lexical tone). This study contributes to a better understanding of the prosodic organization of Kala Lizu and it also suggests methodology for further exploration of other Lizu varieties.摘要:本研究考察里汝语中韵律突显的声学相关物。里汝语曾被认为拥有一 种混合的韵律系统，结合了单音节词的声调，以及多音节词上的重音 似的和声调式的突显格局，尽管缺乏相关的实证证据。本研究对木里 县卡拉乡里汝语不同音高模式(HL、HH、LH)的双音节词进行了声学 考察，使用音长、音强和基频的参数，确定不同类型双音节词中的突 显形式，并探讨这些突显与词层面声调之间的相互关系。测量数据来 自 8 位里汝语母语者(4 男 4 女)的语音实验。声学结果和统计分析表 明，卡拉乡里汝语的全部三种音高模式中，第一个音节都处于突显位置，HL 类型的音高模式表现得更像重音(以音强为重音的声学相关物)， HH 和 LH 类型的音高模式表现得更像声调(以词调的完整实现来体现 重音)。这项研究有助于更好地理解里汝语的韵律结构，并为进一步探 索其他里汝语土语提供了方法。