26.07.2013 Views

Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...

Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...

Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

To exam<strong>in</strong>e effects of syllable structure (VC vs. VC) on duration,<br />

<strong>the</strong> durational ratios between vowel, preaspiration <strong>and</strong> occlusion are<br />

perhaps most <strong>in</strong>formative. This is especially relevant for <strong>the</strong> word types<br />

båten <strong>and</strong> vatten, which tend to occur <strong>in</strong> stressed positions. In Table 4–6<br />

<strong>the</strong> durational data for <strong>the</strong>se two word types have been normalised (i.e.,<br />

VPrO duration for all subjects = 100%) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> durational data for each<br />

element (V, Pr <strong>and</strong> O) is presented as a percentage of <strong>the</strong> whole.<br />

Table 4–6. Normalised durational data for (V)owel, (Pr)easpiration <strong>and</strong><br />

(O)cclusion for <strong>the</strong> word types båten <strong>and</strong> vatten. The percentages are rounded,<br />

<strong>and</strong> thus <strong>the</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ed percentage does not always equal 100%.<br />

båten<br />

VC(C)<br />

vatten<br />

VC /VCC<br />

Subject V Pr O<br />

GT 55% 4% 41%<br />

CK 55% 9% 36%<br />

MP 61% 4% 35%<br />

FS 55% 14% 31%<br />

GT 44% 9% 47%<br />

CK 45% 16% 39%<br />

MP 47% 6% 46%<br />

FS 41% 19% 39%<br />

All subjects express a difference between syllable types as a difference<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ratio of vowel <strong>and</strong> occlusion. In VC(C) syllables, vowels are<br />

9–14 percentage po<strong>in</strong>ts longer than vowels <strong>in</strong> VC /VCC syllables. Differences<br />

<strong>in</strong> occlusion duration are not as large. In VC / VCC syllables,<br />

occlusions are 3–11 percentage po<strong>in</strong>ts longer than occlusions <strong>in</strong> VC(C)<br />

syllables. <strong>Preaspiration</strong> ratios are also larger <strong>in</strong> VC /VCC syllables than<br />

<strong>in</strong> VC(C) syllables, but this difference is fairly small. Incidentally, <strong>the</strong>se<br />

differences between long <strong>and</strong> short vowels, <strong>and</strong> between <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />

long <strong>and</strong> short consonant, are appreciably smaller than usually reported<br />

<strong>in</strong> connection with more formal speak<strong>in</strong>g styles (see, e.g., Elert 1964).<br />

Differences <strong>in</strong> vowel ratio between subjects are fairly small. Most<br />

notably, <strong>the</strong> vowel ratios for MP seem to be shifted upwards slightly<br />

relative to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r subjects. Occlusion ratios sometimes seem to com-<br />

– 122 –

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!