Table Of ContentA SPECTROGRAFHIC ANALYSIS OF SPANISH VOWEL SOUNDS
by
Robert B, Skelton
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in the
University of Michigan
1950
Committee in charge:
Associate Professor Lawrence B. Kiddle, Chairman
Professor Edward B. Ham
Professor Hans Kurath
Assistant Professor Ernst Pulgram
Assistant Professor Earl D. Schubert
PREFACE
The study of phonetics has been severely hampered* until reoent
years* by the lack of a suitable device to measure the acoustic as-
peot of speech sounds objectively. Heretofore, the approach has been
necessarily impressionistic, and a great body of data has been accu
mulated by numerous, highly qualified observers. The vast majority
of these data will undoubtedly be substantiated by means now at our
disposal, but it is nonetheless true that these phoneticians of the
impressionistic school have been laboring under the severe handicap
of being unable to demonstrate palpably their findings.
In the absence of devices to describe objectively the acoustic
phenomena, scholars have turned to the study of these sounds from an
articulatory basis. X-rays of the mouth have been made, notably by
Rousselot-*- among others, where the top bulge of the tongue was obser
ved while the subject pronounced the various sounds, Palatograms
have likewise been used to determine these points of articulation and
with considerable success,2 This physiologic, or articulatory approaoh
has been very successful in explaining the production of speech sounds,
but does not, of course, attempt to explain the acoustic aspect of
speech. The distinction between these two types of approach is dis
cussed in detail by Joos.3
1, P, J, Rousselot, Principes de phonetique experimentale, Paris, 1901-
1908 ,
2, palatograms were used extensively by G, Oscar Russell, The Vowels,
Columbus, 1928. Illustrations may also be found in Eduard Frokosch^ The
Sounds and History of the German Language, New York, 1916,
3, MartinJoos, AcousticPhonetics. Language Monograph No. 23 (Balti
more, 1948), pp. 8-?. No one seriously interested in sound spectro-
graphy can afford to dispense with this work.
ii
The sound spectrograph, amply described in the literature,^ has
proved itself the answer to this long felt need for an objective meas
uring device of acoustic phenomena. It is hoped that this study will
form a part of the small, but rapidly growing body of literature based
on the sound spectrograph.
Many persons have helped, in one way or another, in the preparation
of this dissertation.
I am especially indebted, however, to Professor Lawrence B. Kiddle
of the Department of Romanoe Languages and to Professor Earl B. Schubert
of the Department of Speech for their constant readiness to contribute
both time and advice, from the inception to the conclusion of this dis
sertation.
I am pleased to express here my sincere appreciation for their in
valuable assistance.
1. A detailed description of the sound spectrograph is given in Chapter
Two of Potter, Kopp, and Green, Visible Speech, New York, 1947.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface . . • . » . . . . . . . ii
List of Illustrations....................................... vi
0. INTRODUCTION............................................vii
1. PROCEDURES
1.1 Informants ......................1
1.2 Materials........................................... 4
1.3 Recording ............... 6
1*4 Measuring ........................ 7
1.5 Graphs.............................................. 9
2. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
2.1 By Individual Informant...........................11
2.11 All i t e m s ............... 14
2.12 The/ i/ items........................... . . 3 4
2.13 The /e/i tems ........................... 55
2.14 The/ a/ items........................... . 7 7
2.15 The /o/i tems............................ 99
2.16 The/ u/ items ............... 121
2.2 By Individual I t e m ................................ 142
2.21 The/ i/i tems ........................ 144
2.22 The/ e/ items . . . . . . . . . . . 158
2.23 The /a/ items . . . . . . . . . . . 180
2.24 The/ o/i tems .................... 202
2.25 The /u/ items 226
3. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
3.1 The Effect of Adjacent Consonants on
Vocalic Quality .................239
iv
3.11 Centroids of all items ................. 245
3.12 Centroids of all /i/ items . . . . . . 244
3.13 Centroids of all /e/ i t e m s ................. 248
3.14 Centroids of all /a/ items . . . . . . 252
3.15 Centroids of all /o/i t e m s ................. 256
3.16 Centroids of all /u/i t e m s ............... 260
3.2 Minor Effects.................... 264
3.21 The effect of stress on dispersion. . . . 264
3.22 The behavior of the unaccentedv owels . . . 265
3.23 Vowel metaphony ................ 266
3.24 The effect of y o d ......................269
3.3 Limitations andI mplications........................272
Table of Measurements......................................... 274
References.................................................. 281
v
3.11 Centroids of all items 243
3.12 Centroids of all /i/ i t e m s .................244
3.13 Centroids of all /&/ items ..............248
3.14 Centroids of all /a/ i t e m s ................. 252
3.15 Centroids of all /o/ i t e m s .................256
3.16 Centroids of all /u/i t e m s .................260
3.2 Minor Effects........................ 264
3.21 The effect of stress on dispersion. . . . 264
3.22 The behavior of the unaccentedv owels . . . 265
3.23 Vowel metaphony........................ ... 266
3.24 The effect of y o d ....................269
3.3 Limitations and Implications................. 272
Table of Measurements..................... 274
References ......................................281
■
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Speotrogram of oorreo .........................7
Spectrogram of p i s t a ........................... 244
Spectrogram of pesa ....................248
Spectrogram of olfato . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Spectrogram of poca .................. 256
Spectrogram of p u l g a ........................ 260
Spectrogram of acequia ........................ 271
Spectrogram of patio .............................271
Spectrogram of copia ................ 271
vi
INTRODUCTION
0.1 This study proposes to determine, by the use of Sound Spectro-
graphy, the behavior of Spanish vowel sounds under various conditions
of stress and environment. Examples were chosen of all vowels under
primary stress, under secondary stress, and in unstressed position.
The latter condition includes vowels in final as well as in intertonio
position, before and following the main accent.
The environment factor is generally conoerned with the influence
of the following consonant. There are, however, instances where an in
fluence is exerted by a preceding vowel or consonant, or by a following
vowel. At least one instance of each vowel sound, where applicable,
has been treated in every significant position.
The study of historical grammar makes it manifest that the inter
influence of sounds is not limited to those in adjoining situations but
may extend over a considerable distance. In this type of sound change,
the most frequent and those most common to other languages are vowel
metaphony and the influence of a following yod. These phenomena will
be treated in more detail in the summary under the respective headings.
0.2 The primary purpose of this undertaking is to establish by an
objective method a standard which can be used as a yardstick for later
studies in comparative phonology. These studies will be possible in
the many dialects of Spanish itself or in comparisons between Spanish
and other languages. At the same time, this study will help to deter
mine the value of speotrographic analysis in the field of foreign lang
uage studies.
0.3 since this study may possibly be of interest to some unfamiliar
vii
with the pronunciation of Spanish, it seems advisable to transcribe
phonemioally the Spanish words used in this material. A list, together
with an explanation of the phonemes used is given here.
/i/ represents a high, front, unrounded vowel as in hijo, /’ijo/.
It is also used for the unaocented semi-vowel in the words soy, /*soi/,
and aceite, /a'zeite/.
/e/ represents a mid, front, unrounded vowel as in selva, /'selba/.
/a/ represents a low, central, unrounded vowel as in tacto, /*takto/.
/o/ represents a mid, back, rounded vowel as in poca, /'poka/.
/u/ represents a high, back, rounded vowel as in ocupa, /o’kupa/.
It is also used to represent the unaccented semi-vowel in pausa, /* pausa/
/y/ represents the semi-consonant corresponding to the vowel /i/
as in oopia, /'kopya/.
/w/ represents the semi-consonant corresponding to the vowel /u/
as in huesped, /'wesped/.
/p/ is the voiceless bilabial stop as in pese, /'pese/.
/t/ is the voiceless dental stop as in tose,/ ‘tose/.
/k/ is the voiceless velar stop as in costa,/ •kosta/.
A/
is the voiced bilabial stop initially ina breath group or
after an /m/. Elsewhere it is a voiced bilabial fricative. In this
study it appears in the latter situation only as in selva, /‘selba/.
/d/ is the voiced dental stop as in conducta, /icon*dukta/. It is
the voiced interdental fricative intervoealically as in roquedal,
/rroke’ dal/.
/g/ is the voiced velar stop as in pulga, /‘pulga/. It is a voiced
velar fricative intervooalically as in arruga, /a’rruga/.
/6/ is a voiceless affricate, composed of a voiceless alveolar stop
viii
plus the voiceless alveopalatal grooved fricative as in pecho, /*peco/.
/f/ is the voiceless labiodental fricative as in sofooar, /sofo-
*kar/.
/%/ is the voiceless interdental fricative as in acequia, /a'zekya/.
For all the informants from the Amerioas, however, it is identical with
/«/•
/s/ is the voiceless alveolar grooved fricative as in silba, /' sil-
ba/.
/j/ is the voiceless velar fricative as in hoja, /' oja/.
/m/ is the bilabial nasal as in empuje, /em*puje/.
/n/ is the dental nasal as in indocta, /in'dokta/,
/l/ is the alveolar lateral as in selva, selba/,
/r/ is the voiced alveolar flap as in ahora, /a'ora/,
/yt/ is the voiced alveolar trill as in roquedal, /rroke*dal/,
/*/ precedes the syllable bearing the primary stress.
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