CHAPTER IV. FINDINDS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.4 Acoustic analysis of tripthongs
4.4.1 Formant frequencies of triphthongs
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[tʰ] and [k] can be observed. The burst of bilabial [p] is fairly faint and scattered over
a wide range. The burst of alveolar [t] is in the higher frequency range. The [k] burst has its greatest intensity between 2000 and 3000 Hz.
As pointed by the circle, we can clearly identify each vowel-to-vowel transition in each spectrogram. In all of the six items, the transitions of the first and the second formant of the two vowels can be clearly observed. Diphthongs can be characterized by clear vowel-to-vowel on the spectrogram.
4.4 Acoustic analysis of tripthongs
This section presents the acoustic analysis of the three tripthongs [iai], [iau] and [uai]. To describe the location of three tripthongs [iai], [iau] and [uai] precisely by acoustic approach, we design three test words that place three tripthongs [iai], [iau]
and [uai] in CVVV structure. The three test words are [iai55], [tiau55], and [kuai55].
The mean F1 and F2 values (Hz) of three tripthongs of Hai-lu Hakka in all subjects are presented in section 4.4.1, and the spectrogram analysis of three tripthongs is provided in section 4.4.2.
4.4.1 Formant frequencies of triphthongs
This section presents the acoustic analysis of six Hai-lu Hakka tripthongs [iai], [iau] and [uai]. Table 3.3 presents the mean F1 and F2 values (Hz) of three triphthongs of Hai-lu Hakka in all six subjects.
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Table 3.3 Mean F1 and F2 values (Hz) of 4 triphthongs of Hai-lu Hakka in all subjects Subject
The spectrogram of CVVV structure [iai55], [tiau55], and [kuai55] are presented in Figure 3.18. The test item [tsʰioi55] is not presented in this section because six of the subjects did not pronounce the sound we expected. Thus the three-vowel sequence [ioi] do not exist in Hai-lu Hakka under study.
The test word [iai55] can only be pronounced correctly by two of the six subjects, and the rest four subjects pronounce [ʒai55] instead. Based on my intuition, the recent change in [i] to [ʒ] has been undergone in many Hakka speakers.
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As shown in the spectrogram, the duration of [i] in [iai55], [i] in [tʰiau55] and [u]
in [kuai55] are relatively shorter than the rest two vowels in the same syllable, as [ai]
in [iai55], [au] in [tʰiau55] and [ai] in [kuai55]. In these CVVV syllables, [u] and [i]
are similar to glides or so-called semi-vowels, or approximants [j] and [w] as shown in the spectrogram. A glide [j] in the spectrograph is characterized by the lowering of the F1 formant and the visible rising of the F2 format, since glide [j] is like the high front vowel [i] but with shorter duration. The spectrogram of glide [w] is characterized by the lowering of the first and second formants, since glide [w] is like the high back rounded vowel [u] but with shorter duration.
Figure 3.18 The spectrogram of CVVV structure [iai55], [tʰiau55], and [kuai55]
4.5 Summary
In this chapter, we present the mean level of formant frequencies of the six Hai-lu Hakka monphthongs, eleven Hai-lu Hakka diphthongs and three Hai-lu Hakka triphthongs. from our 1086 acoustic analysis.
Compare the mean F1 and F2 value of three male subjects and three female
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subjects, we found that the overall formant frequency values of the vowels for the male speakers are lower than those for the female speakers. This result is due to the differences in vocal tract dimensions between male and female speakers.
With the mean F1 and F2 value, we present the distribution of six monophthongs [i], [e], [ɨ], [a], [o] and [u]in the vowel space in 4.2. The results confirm the application of the acoustic theory in accounting for English that the spectrogram analysis showed the acoustic feature of having lower F1 in high vowels and higher F1 in low vowels.
The distribution of eleven diphthongs [ie], [ia], [io] [iu], [eu], [ai], [au], [oi], [ui], [ue], and [ua] in a vowel space is provided in 4.3. Comparing their distribution with monophthongs, we found that the second vowel in a diphthong tend to be influenced a lot by the place of articulation of the first vowel. For example, compared with being a single vowel, when middle vowel [e] and low vowel [a] appear as the second vowel in [ie] and [ia], they tend to be higher in the vowel space. It is because of the coarticulatory influence of the adjacent phones : the high front vowel [i]. Similarly, compared with being a single vowel, when back vowel [u] appears as the second vowel in [iu], it tends to be more frontal in the vowel space.
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUDING REMARKS
5.1 Summary of the findings
This study aims to investigate the vowel quality of Hai-lu vowels from an acoustic approach. We attempt to provide a survey on the formant frequencies of high vowel phones, low vowel phones, and mid vowel phones and their distribution in the vowel space. This thesis attempts to reply to the research questions with the findings of the acoustic data in Hai-lu Hakka.
Six subjects were recruited in this study, including three males and three females.
From examining the acoustic data, some findings that related to the vowel quality of Hai-lu Hakka surface vowels are reported.
The overview of the data in this study presents the relative position of the six single vowels [i], [e], [ɨ], [a], [o], and [u] in vowel space. Furthermore, the results of this study confirm the application of the acoustic theory in accounting for English. For example, the spectrogram analysis showed the acoustic feature of having lower F1 in high vowels and higher F1 in low vowels.
To answer the first research question: How many single vowels are there in Hai-lu Hakka under study? According to the experiment and acoustic analysis, there are six monophthongs in Hai-lu Hakka, and this confirms the claims in Yang (1952),
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Lo (1990) and Chen (2000).
As for the second research question: How many diphthongs are there in Hai-lu Hakka under study? There are eleven diphthongs [ie], [ia], [io] [iu], [eu], [ai], [au], [oi], [ui], [ue], and [ua].
To answer the third research question: What are three vowels represented in the spectrogram? There are three diphthongs in the phonological system of Hai-lu Hakka vowels: [iai], [iau], and [uai]. As shown in the spectrogram, the duration of [i] in [iai55], [i] in [tʰiau55] and [u] in [kuai55] are relatively shorter than the other two vowels: [ai] in [iai55], [au] in [tʰiau55] and [u] in [kuai55]. In these CVVV syllables, [u] and [i] are similar to glides, or so-called semi-vowels [j] and [w] as shown in the spectrogram.
To Sum up, the vowel system in Yang (1957) is more suitable for accounting for the data in this study. Hopefully, the vowel formant data presented in this study will contribute to the study of vowels in Hakka.
5.2 Future research
There are two possible directions for further research in the future. One is the acoustic study that investigates the influence of initial and final consonant or the form of production on the vowel quality.
The other direction for future study is the sociolinguistic investigation into the
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sound change of Hakka. The sociolinguistic approach provides a more satisfactory explanation for the historic change of speech sound and the variation of a language.
With the help of sociolinguistic knowledge, the motivation for the sound change, the social factors behind the language variation, and the possible influence from the mother tongue of Hai-lu speakers such as Taiwan Mandarin, Taiwanese Southern Min, and other local native languages would be further explored.
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Personal Data Language Proficiency
Name Gender Birth
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APPENDIX III
編號____
錄音時間____月____日____午________時 姓名___________
出生地：_____縣_____鎮 成長地：_____縣_____鎮 現今居住地：_______________
出生年次：民國_______年 第二語言口說能力：
不會說 會 說 但 不
流利 普通 流利 非常流利
台灣華語 □ □ □ □ □
閩南語 □ □ □ □ □
英語 □ □ □ □ □
其 它
_______ □ □ □ □ □
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