1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Language and Linguistics
  4. Volume 20, Issue 4
  5. Article
Volume 20, Issue 4
  • ISSN 1606-822X
  • E-ISSN: 2309-5067
PDF

Abstract

Abstract

Previous studies on Chinese dialect variation have mostly focused on the description of dialects, the regions where these dialects are spoken, attitudes towards dialects, and acoustic differences across dialects. The present study draws on experimental evidence concerning a vowel difference in two Taiwan Southern Min (TSM) dialects to provide more understanding on how non-contrastive, dialectal variations may affect speakers’ processing of speech. The variation of interest is a phonemic difference, [ə] and [ɔ], in the vowel inventory in two TSM dialects, in which the difference signals a lexical contrast in one dialect (e.g. [ə-a] ‘oyster’ vs. [ɔ-a] ‘taro’) but not in the other ([ɔ-a] ‘oyster, taro’). A long-term repetition-priming experiment investigating the word recognition involving the two vowels revealed a dialect effect on TSM speakers’ word recognition in accordance with prior exposure, native-ness and variant frequency. Implications of the findings are provided.

© ILAS
Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
2019-09-24
2024-10-04

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/lali.00048.lu.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Ang, Ui-jin
    2003 Yinbian de dongji yu fangxiang: Zhang-Quan jingzheng yu Taiwan putungqiang de xingcheng [The motivation and direction of sound change: On the competition of Minnan dialects Chang-chou and Chuan-chou, and the emergence of general Taiwanese]. Hsinchu: National Tsing Hua University. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  2. 2013 Taiwan de yuzhong fenbu yu fenqu. [The distribution and regionalization of varieties in Taiwan]. Language and Linguistics14(2). 315–369.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Baayen, R. & Davidson, D. & Bates, D.
    2008 Mixed-effects modeling with crossed random effects for subjects and items. Journal of Memory and Language591. 390–412. 10.1016/j.jml.2007.12.005
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.12.005 [Google Scholar]
  4. Babel, Molly & Johnson, Keith
    2010 Accessing psycho-acoustic perception and language-specific perception with speech sounds. Laboratory Phonology11. 179–205. 10.1515/labphon.2010.009
     https://doi.org/10.1515/labphon.2010.009 [Google Scholar]
  5. Babel, Molly & Russell, Jamie
    2015 Expectations and speech intelligibility. Journal of Acoustical Society of America1371. 2823–2833. 10.1121/1.4919317
     https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4919317 [Google Scholar]
  6. Bates, Douglas & Mächler, Martin & Bolker, Benjamin & Walker, Steve
    2015 Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software67(1). 1–48. 10.18637/jss.v067.i01
     https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v067.i01 [Google Scholar]
  7. Boersma, Paul
    2001 Praat, a system for doing phonetics by computer. Glot International51. 341–345.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Boomershine, Amanda & Hall, Kathleen Currie & Hume, Elizabeth & Johnson, Keith
    2008 The impact of allophony versus contrast on speech perception. In Avery, Peter & Dresher, Elan & Rice, Keren (eds.), Contrast in Phonology, 145–171. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Chen, Shu-chuan
    2009 Taiwan Minnanyu yuanyin xitong ji yin-yang rushengdiao de bianyi yu bianhua-Taiwan Minnanyu de zibiao diaocha fenxi [The vowel system change and the Yin-/Yang-entering tonal variations in Taiwanese Hokkien]. Journal of Taiwanese Languages and Literature31. 157–178.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. 2010 Taiwan Minnanyu xinxing de yuyin bianyi-Taibeishi, Zhanghuashi ji Tainanshi yuanyin xitong yu yangru yuandiao de diaocha fenxi [New sound variation in Taiwan Southern Min: Vowel systems and the lower register entering tone in Taipei, Changhua, and Tainan]. Language and Linguistics11(2). 425–468.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Chomsky, Noam & Halle, Morris
    1968 The sound pattern of English. Cambridge: Harper & Row.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Chuang, Yu-Ying
    2017 The effect of phonetic variation on word recognition in Taiwan Mandarin. Taipei: National Taiwan University. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Chung, Karen Steffen
    2006 Hypercorrection in Taiwan Mandarin. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication161. 197–214. 10.1075/japc.16.2.04chu
     https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.16.2.04chu [Google Scholar]
  14. Chung, Raung-fu
    1996 The segmental phonology of Southern Min in Taiwan. Taipei: Crane Publishing Co., Ltd..
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Clements, G. N.
    2003 Feature economy in sound systems. Phonology201. 287–333. 10.1017/S095267570400003X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S095267570400003X [Google Scholar]
  16. Connine, Cynthia M. & Blasko, Dawn G. & Titione, Debra
    1993 Do the beginnings of spoken words have a special status in auditory word recognition?Journal of Memory and Language321. 193–210. 10.1006/jmla.1993.1011
     https://doi.org/10.1006/jmla.1993.1011 [Google Scholar]
  17. Connine, Cynthia M. & Pinnow, Eleni
    2006 Phonological variation in spoken word recognition: Episodes and abstractions. The Linguistic Review231. 235–245. 10.1515/TLR.2006.009
     https://doi.org/10.1515/TLR.2006.009 [Google Scholar]
  18. Connine, Cynthia M. & Titone, Debra & Deelman, Thomas & Blasko, Dawn
    1997 Similarity mapping in spoken word recognition. Journal of Memory and Language371. 463–480. 10.1006/jmla.1997.2535
     https://doi.org/10.1006/jmla.1997.2535 [Google Scholar]
  19. Fon, Janice & Hung, Jui-mei & Huang, Yi-Hsuan & Hsu, Hui-ju
    2011 Dialectal variations on syllable-final nasal mergers in Taiwan Mandarin. Language and Linguistics12(2). 273–311.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Fox, John
    2003 Effect displays in R for generalised linear models. Journal of Statistical Software8(15). 1–27. 10.18637/jss.v008.i15
     https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v008.i15 [Google Scholar]
  21. Garcia, Christina & Campos-Astorkiza, Rebeka
    2015 Allophonic perception in Spanish: The case of intervocalic /s/ voicing. (Paper presented atthe Phonetics and Phonology in Europe 2015, Cambridge, 29–30 June 2015.)
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Hsieh, Feng-fan
    2006 High infidelity: The non-mapping of Japanese accent onto Taiwanese tone. MIT Working Papers in Linguistics521. 1–27.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Hsu, Hui-ju
    2016 Biandong zhong de Taiyu: Taiyu /o/ yinsu sanzhong zhuyao duyin de xianzhuang fenxi. [The dynamics of Taiwanese – the analysis of the Taiwanese phoneme /o/]. Dongwu Zhongwen Xuebao [Soochow Journal of Chinese Studies] 311. 303–328.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Jaeger, Jeri J.
    1980 Testing the psychological reality of phonemes. Language and Speech231. 233–253. 10.1177/002383098002300302
     https://doi.org/10.1177/002383098002300302 [Google Scholar]
  25. 1986 Concept formation as a tool for linguistic research. In Ohala, John J. & Jaeger, Jeri J. (eds.), Experimental Phonology, 211–237. Orlando: Academic Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Johnson, Keith & Babel, Molly
    2010 On the perceptual basis of distinctive features: Evidence from the perception of fricatives by Dutch and English speakers. Journal of Phonetics381. 127–136. 10.1016/j.wocn.2009.11.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2009.11.001 [Google Scholar]
  27. Kenstowicz, Michael & Kisseberth, Charles
    1979 Generative phonology: Description and theory. New York: Academic Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Keuleers, Emmanuel & Diependaele, Kevin & Brysbaert, Marc
    2010 Practice effects in large-scale visual word recognition studies: A lexical decision study on 14,000 Dutch mono-and disyllabic words and nonwords. Frontier in Psychology1. No.174. 1–15.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Kuznetsova, Alexandra & Brockhoff, Per Bruun & Christensen, Rune Haubo Bojesen
    2016 lmerTest: Test in linear mixed effects models. Journal of Statistical Software82(13). 1–26.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Lee, Chao-Yang
    2007 Does horse activate mother? Processing lexical tone in form priming. Language and Speech501. 101–123. 10.1177/00238309070500010501
     https://doi.org/10.1177/00238309070500010501 [Google Scholar]
  31. Lenth, Russell V.
    2016 Least-squares means: The R package lsmeans, Journal of Statistical Software69(1). 1–33. 10.18637/jss.v069.i01
     https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v069.i01 [Google Scholar]
  32. Lu, Yu-An
    2014 Mandarin fricatives redux: The psychological reality of phonological representations. Journal of East Asian Linguistics231. 43–69. 10.1007/s10831‑013‑9111‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-013-9111-5 [Google Scholar]
  33. Mackenzie, Sara & Olson, Erin & Clayards, Meghan & Wagner, Michael
    2014 Allophonic variation in English /l/: Production, perception, and segmentation. (Paper presented at the2014 Canadian Linguistic Association conference, St. Catharines, 24–26 May 2014.)
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Pallier, Christophe & Colomé, Angels & Sebastián-Gallés, Núria
    2001 The influence of native-language phonology on lexical access: Examplar-based versus abstract lexical entries. Psychological Science121. 445–449. 10.1111/1467‑9280.00383
     https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00383 [Google Scholar]
  35. Patterson, D. & Connine, Cynthia M.
    2001 Variant frequency in flap production: A corpus analysis of variant frequency in American English flap production. Phonetica581. 254–275. 10.1159/000046178
     https://doi.org/10.1159/000046178 [Google Scholar]
  36. Radeau, Monique & Morais, Jose & Segui, Juan
    1995 Phonological priming between monosyllabic spoken words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance21(6). 1297–1311.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Ranbom, Larissa J. & Cynthia M. Connine
    2007 Lexical representation of phonological variation in spoken word recognition. Journal of Memory and Language571. 273–298. 10.1016/j.jml.2007.04.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.04.001 [Google Scholar]
  38. Schneider, Walter . & Eschman, Amy . & Zuccolotto, Anthony
    2002 E-Prime user’s guide. Pittsburgh: Psychology Software Tools.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Sumner, Meghan & Samuel, Arthur G.
    2005 Perception and representation of regular variation: The case of final /t/. Journal of Memory and Language521. 322–338. 10.1016/j.jml.2004.11.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2004.11.004 [Google Scholar]
  40. 2007 Lexical inhibition and sublexical facilitation are surprisingly long lasting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition33(4). 769–790.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. 2009 The effect of experience on the perception and representation of dialect variants. Journal of Memory and Language601. 487–501. 10.1016/j.jml.2009.01.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2009.01.001 [Google Scholar]
  42. Tsay, Jane & Myers, James
    2013 CCU Taiwanese Spoken Corpus. (lngproc.ccu.edu.tw/SouthernMinCorpus/) (Accessed2019-05-03)
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Whalen, D. H. & Best, Catherin T. & Irwin, Julia R.
    1997 Lexical effects in the perception and production of American English /p/ allophones. Journal of Phonetics251. 501–528. 10.1006/jpho.1997.0058
     https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1997.0058 [Google Scholar]
  44. Wickham, Hadley
    2009 ggplot2: Elegant graphics for data analysis. New York: Springer-Verlag. 10.1007/978‑0‑387‑98141‑3
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-98141-3 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
Loading
The effect of dialectal variation on word recognition
Language and Linguistics 20, 535 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00048.lu
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): dialectal variation; repetition priming; Taiwanese Southern Min; word recognition

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error