A Contrastive Analysis of the Structure of Prosodic Words in Mandarin and English

doi:10.12002/j.bisu.2016.037

Abstract

Abstract: This paper, particularly focusing on the pitch of prosodic words, has conducted a contrastive study on the structure of prosodic words in English and Mandarin . This paper reports a Mandarin monologue speech corpus-study, an experimental phonetic attempt to conduct a study on the pitch of trisyllabic prosodic words in Mandarin monologue. In addition, taking the characteristics of English prosodic words into consideration, the paper makes a contrastive analysis of prosodic words in English and Mandarin. This study finds that the pitch of trisyllabic prosodic words in Mandarin is inevitably affected by structural factors. As far as the left syllable is concerned, the grammatical category, prosodic hierarchical boundary and the position of the intonational phrase where the syllable is located, the mid syllable and the right syllable may have influences on the pitch contour of the left syllable. As to the mid syllable, the grammatical category, the left syllable, the right syllable and the position of the intonational phrase where the syllable is located may have influences on the pitch contour of the mid syllable. As for the right syllable, the prosodic hierarchical boundary where the syllable is located and the mid syllable may have effects on the pitch contour of the right syllable. Different from the previous findings of the study on read corpus, this study shows that the mid syllable not only has dissimilatory effects but also has assimilatory effects on the pitch of its preceding syllable. The left syllable has anticipatory effects on the onset pitch of the mid syllable and the right syllable has coarticulation effects on the offset pitch of the mid syllable.

Keywords: prosodic words; structural factors; pitch; regressive effects; coarticulation

摘要： 本文以音高特征为出发点，对英语和汉语的韵律词结构特征进行对比研究。本文基于自然话语语料库，从实验语音学角度对汉语自然独白话语中三音节韵律词的音高特征进行研究，并结合英语韵律词特点，与其进行对比分析。研究发现结构性位置因素会对三音节韵律词的音高产生重要影响。语法组合类型、音节所在的韵律层级边界、语调短语位置、中字音节和末字音节都有可能对前字音节的音高产生影响。中字音节的4 个声调的音高会受到韵律词的语法组合类型、前字音节、末字音节和所在语调短语位置的影响。末字音节的4 个声调的音高会受到其所在的韵律层级边界、中字音节声调的影响。与前人在朗读语料的研究发现不同，自然语流中不仅存在中字对前字音高的异化作用，还存在中字对前字音高的同化作用。前字声调主要是对中字音节的调头音高产生影响，末字声调主要是对中字音节的调尾音高产生发音协同作用。

关键词: 韵律词, 结构因素, 音高, 异化, 发音协同

CLC Number:

H315.9

GUO Zhongzi. A Contrastive Analysis of the Structure of Prosodic Words in Mandarin and English[J]. Journal of Beijing International Studies University, 2016, 38(5): 14-33.

郭中子. 英汉韵律词结构特征对比研究[J]. 北京第二外国语学院学报, 2016, 38(5): 14-33.

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