北部彝语松紧元音的超声和声学研究

AN ULTRASONIC AND ACOUSTIC INVESTIGATION OF TENSENESS IN NORTHERN YI

北部彝语在音系上拥有5组松紧对立的元音:/i/(松)和/ε/(紧);/■/(松)和/a/(紧);/o/(松)和/■/(紧);/■/(松)和/■/(紧);/u/(松)和/u/(紧)。前人研究发现,松紧元音的主要声学区别存在于发声类型和基频,同时也在元音音质、时长、音强上存在一些差别。其中,松紧元音的音质区别存在争议。有研究指出,松紧元音的第一和第二共振峰存在差别,或仅在第一共振峰上存在差别;但也有部分研究指出,松紧元音音质不存在区别,或仅在个别松紧元音对中存在音质差别。本研究旨在通过超声成像数据和声学分析考察北部彝语松紧元音的发声生理特征和共振峰特征,探究北部彝语松紧元音的音质差别。超声数据可以直观地展示发音时的舌位差别,可为探究元音音质提供较为直接的证据。本文收集了一名北部彝语发音人的超声舌位数据及声学数据,以及另外五位发音人的声学数据。超声数据显示,紧元音发音时舌根后缩,舌前部(舌叶及前舌面)较低,整体舌位也较低;松元音发音时舌根较前,舌前部较高,整体舌位也较高。声学上,这位发音人的紧元音第一共振峰比松元音高,第二共振峰比松元音低,证明紧元音舌位较低且靠后,与超声数据呈现的特征一致。另外五名发音人的松紧元音声学特征与参加超声实验的发音人的声学数据特征一致。根据松紧元音的舌位特征和共振峰特征可知,彝语松紧元音的区别不仅仅在于发声类型,也同时具有类似非洲语言的舌根前伸/舌根后置([+ATR]/[+RTR])的区别,同时在第一和第二共振峰上都存在显著差异。紧元音舌根后缩([+RTR]/[-ATR]),第一共振峰较高,第二共振峰低;松元音舌根靠前([+ATR]/[-RTR]),第一共振峰较低,第二共振峰高。

This study investigates the articulation and acoustics of tense-lax contrast in two Northern Yi dialects:Suondi and Yinuo.Suondi and Yinuo have five pairs of phonologically-defined tense and lax vowels.Previous studies have suggested that the major difference between tense and lax vowels lay in phonation types and f0,while the difference in vowel quality and lingual gesture between the two types of vowels is less known.The current study describes the articulatory and acoustic characteristics of tense and lax vowels using ultrasound imaging and spectrogram analysis.The results showed that tense vowels were articulated with more retracted tongue root and higher tongue front compared to lax vowels.Acoustically,tense vowels had higher F1 and lower F2,which was caused by the lowered and retracted tongue position.The data suggests that tense-lax distinction in Northern Yi also involves advanced tongue root/retracted tongue root([+ATR]/[+RTR])contrast.