Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...
Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ... Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...
Lastly, even if we are truly better at discriminating noise duration in silence than silence duration in noise, it does not follow that “spectral changes whose response in the auditory nerve is mainly onset of firing are much more perceptually salient than those producing an offset” (Bladon 1986:5). Offset of firing in the auditory nerve occurs in both types of stimuli, noise bursts and gaps. If the time lag between voice offset and onset (gap) or voice onset and voice offset (noise burst) is used to establish duration, an inherent difficulty in pinpointing voice offset should render the duration of both types of stimuli equally difficult to gauge. Bladon’s principle therefore does not explain the data provided by Tyler et al.; nor do the data of Tyler et al. illustrate Bladon’s principle. However, other kinds of evidence may support the notion of on/off response asymmetry. For example, experiments on the reaction time (RT) to the onset vs. offset of stimuli may indicate an existence of such an asymmetry. But, while there have been numerous studies on RT for the onset of stimuli, few experiments have been carried out in which RT to offset is measured. In by far the most extensive such study to date, testing 60 subjects, Rammsayer (1998) found that for white noise stimuli at both 65 and 90 dB, onset reaction times were significantly faster than were offset reaction times. If these findings are an indication that there is such a thing as on/off response asymmetry, its cause is still unclear. One might speculate that it is related to the findings of Delgutte (1982) and that it should be seen as a consequence of short-term adaptation. If this is the case, the principle may provide some indication of the degree to which neural discharge rates can be translated into salience. To summarise, Bladon attributes the rarity of preaspiration to properties of the auditory nerve, in essence to the absence of non-adapted neural activity at the onset of preaspiration. However, non-adapted neural activity is not a prerequisite for auditory robustness, and there is little evidence that non-adapted neural activity gives significant returns in terms of auditory salience. Thus, although there may be some perceptual benefits from non-adapted neural activity, this approach exaggerates the significance of neural discharge rates, essentially turning them into a measuring stick for perceptual salience. Also, Bladon underestimates the – 40 –
number of languages that possess sequences of aspiration and stop (be they called preaspiration or hC clusters). Two phonetically similar sound sequences that differ only in terms of phonological interpretation should not respond in different ways to the same auditory constraint. Such constraints must be applicable to sound patterns, irrespective of how these sound patterns are organised phonologically. To conclude, the auditory constraints proposed by Bladon are not as powerful as he claims, and can hardly be wholly responsible for the apparent rarity of normative preaspiration. Nevertheless, they should be given serious consideration, since they indicate that postaspiration is better in terms of perceptual discriminability than is preaspiration. Possibly, this has a bearing on the outcome of a process of sound change in that postaspiration has a perceptual advantage over preaspiration. – 41 –
- Page 1: Preaspiration in the Nordic Languag
- Page 4 and 5: PhD dissertation November 2002 Depa
- Page 7 and 8: CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........
- Page 9: 4.4.4 Preaspiration duration — SW
- Page 12 and 13: the following pages. Thanks also to
- Page 14 and 15: ported, but these should only be ta
- Page 16 and 17: Finally, in Chapter 5, the patterns
- Page 18 and 19: lock (ibid:267; boldface mine). Wea
- Page 20 and 21: closure, decay time of the glottal
- Page 23 and 24: 2 DEFINITION AND TYPOLOGY 2.1 Defin
- Page 25 and 26: and Finnish the word [lhti] ‘bay
- Page 27 and 28: turn into ChV sequences in which V
- Page 29 and 30: 2.2 Linking preaspiration and sonor
- Page 31 and 32: The similarity in gestural organisa
- Page 33 and 34: The fact that both preaspiration an
- Page 35 and 36: have normative preaspiration, other
- Page 37 and 38: usually expressed as unaspirated an
- Page 39 and 40: while clusters have developed into
- Page 41 and 42: ted as voiceless unaspirated or pos
- Page 43 and 44: y a middle-aged male speaker. In bo
- Page 45 and 46: ut this is not true of the “stand
- Page 47 and 48: 2.6 Auditory constraints and the ra
- Page 49 and 50: The second criticism of Bladon’s
- Page 51: in discharge rates in the auditory
- Page 56 and 57: and Lappic (Finno-Ugric). It has be
- Page 58 and 59: For the sake of simplicity and luci
- Page 60 and 61: ‘apple,’ [vh] vatnið ‘the wa
- Page 62 and 63: Table 3-1. Reflexes of Old Norse st
- Page 64 and 65: In the Northern dialect, V is sligh
- Page 66 and 67: Pind’s experiments as well as the
- Page 68 and 69: In Area 2, where Tórshavn is situa
- Page 70 and 71: in VC syllables in their speech, ju
- Page 72 and 73: Table 3-4. Reflexes of ON stops in
- Page 74 and 75: long vowel followed by a preaspirat
- Page 76 and 77: grams), with the occasional aid of
- Page 78 and 79: quantity system instead of the ON f
- Page 80 and 81: ON flytja). There are no examples o
- Page 82 and 83: Table 3-7. Reflexes of ON stops in
- Page 84 and 85: whether she thinks that leaving out
- Page 86 and 87: (Hede, Linsäll and Sveg) as well a
- Page 88 and 89: (VC vs. VC). For two pairs (/tak/ v
- Page 90 and 91: stop sequences that remain to be di
- Page 92 and 93: do occur systematic linguistic diff
- Page 94 and 95: Gräsö Forsmark Valö S W E D E N
- Page 96 and 97: There are very few examples of clus
- Page 98 and 99: Kökar, in the Åboland archipelago
- Page 100 and 101: one hand, speakers have a tendency
number of languages that possess sequences of aspiration <strong>and</strong> stop (be<br />
<strong>the</strong>y called preaspiration or hC clusters). Two phonetically similar sound<br />
sequences that differ only <strong>in</strong> terms of phonological <strong>in</strong>terpretation should<br />
not respond <strong>in</strong> different ways to <strong>the</strong> same auditory constra<strong>in</strong>t. Such constra<strong>in</strong>ts<br />
must be applicable to sound patterns, irrespective of how <strong>the</strong>se<br />
sound patterns are organised phonologically.<br />
To conclude, <strong>the</strong> auditory constra<strong>in</strong>ts proposed by Bladon are not as<br />
powerful as he claims, <strong>and</strong> can hardly be wholly responsible for <strong>the</strong> apparent<br />
rarity of normative preaspiration. Never<strong>the</strong>less, <strong>the</strong>y should be<br />
given serious consideration, s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>y <strong>in</strong>dicate that postaspiration is<br />
better <strong>in</strong> terms of perceptual discrim<strong>in</strong>ability than is preaspiration. Possibly,<br />
this has a bear<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> outcome of a process of sound change <strong>in</strong><br />
that postaspiration has a perceptual advantage over preaspiration.<br />
– 41 –
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