Abstract
Tswana is traditionally described as having a
process of post-nasal stop devoicing (/mba/ →
[mpa]). If this description is accurate, then Tswana
poses a challenge to views that neutralization
processes should be articulatorily grounded.
Airflow leakage through the nasal cavity should
promote, not inhibit, voicing post-nasally. Zsiga et
al. [1] performed an acoustic study of the speech
of 6 Tswana speakers, and found no evidence of
post-nasal devoicing. They conclude that, counter
to the traditional descriptions, Tswana does not
have post-nasal devoicing. In an independent
study, we collected speech samples from 12
Tswana speakers. Four of our speakers showed
clear and consistent post-nasal devoicing. In this
paper, we present the data for these 4 speakers to
show that at least some speakers of Tswana do
have an active process of post-nasal devoicing. We
also consider possible explanations for this
process, arguing that it is motivated by perceptual
rather than articulatory considerations.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS XVI) |
Editors | Jurgen Trouvain, William J. Barry |
Place of Publication | Germany |
Publisher | Universität des Saarlandes |
Pages | 861-864 |
Number of pages | 4 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783981153514 |
Publication status | Published - 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (16th : 2007) - Saarbrücken Duration: 6 Aug 2007 → 10 Aug 2007 |
Conference
Conference | International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (16th : 2007) |
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City | Saarbrücken |
Period | 6/08/07 → 10/08/07 |
Keywords
- Post-nasal devoicing
- Tswana