现代蒙古语短元音弱化以至脱落原因分析

Research on the Causes of the Weakening and Even Disappearance of Short Vowels in Mongolian

蒙古语书面语非词首音节的短元音在现代蒙古语口语中有弱化以至脱落现象。关于这一现象的形成原因,大多数学者认为与蒙古语的重音位置有关,蒙古语词重音在词首音节,所以词首音节短元音发音清晰响亮,非词首音节短元音就弱化以至脱落。现代蒙古语口语非词首音节的短元音弱化以至脱落,主要与它们辨义功能的消失有关。

The short vowels which are not at the very beginning of a word in written Mongolian may weakens in modern oral Mongolian, and even disappear, which is attributed by most scholars to the position of the accent of the word. That is, since the stress of a Mongolian word falls on the first syllable, the short vowel of the first syllable is pronounced as clear and grand-sounding, and on the contrary non-first-syllable short vowel weakens or even disappears. This paper points out that in modern oral Mongolian the non-first-syllable short vowel's weakening and even complete disappearance is mainly connected with the disappearance of their meaning-identifying function.