Studies in the Phonology of Asian Languages. X. Intertonal Influences in Two-Syllable Utterances of Vietnamese.
Abstract
The study describes the phonetic variation of the six tones in twosyllable utterances of Vietnamese. The overall pitch height of a tone varies considerably depending upon its immediate tonal environment and also its syllable position. In a given syllable position, a variant of a tone adjacent to a high tone is higher than another variant adjacent to a low tone, and the phonetic variation of the tones is greater in the second syllable position than the first syllable position. There is a tendency for any two variants of a tone in a given syllable position not to cross each other. This is a factor that keeps the basic contour of each tone relatively constant. The range of variation of a tone is greater at the onset than at the end-point. Analysis of two-syllable utterances suggests that the overall pitch height is a more consistant cue than the contour for the differentiation of level tone from the falling tone. In spite of all the intertonal influences, the pattern of the six tone contrast is unaffected in a given environment, due to the uniform effect which the environment exerts on the six tones. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0745771
Entities
People
- Kong-on Kim
- Mieko S. Han
Organizations
- University of Southern California