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Article published In:
Asia-Pacific Language Variation
Vol. 9:2 (2023) ► pp.195–238

Sociophonetic variation in the alveolar lateral in Yami

ORCID logo | Pomona College
| University of Pittsburgh
This paper examines lateral (/l/) variation in Yami, an indigenous language of Orchid Island, Taiwan. New acoustic evidence on F2–F1 distance and duration shows that palatalized laterals [lj] in Yami are characterized by greater formant distance and longer duration. These acoustic correlates are influenced by a mixed bag of social and linguistic factors, indicating the need for a coordinated assessment of these factors. Results also suggest that in general, younger, less-rooted, and Mandarin-dominant speakers have a narrower formant distance and shorter duration, indicating a less palatal-like /l/ pronunciation. The loss of [lj] among these speakers may be linked to a rapidly changing linguistic ecology, which fuels cross-linguistic transfer from Mandarin, the language of communication with outsiders. Since [lj] only occurs in Yami, younger speakers may have converged towards Mandarin and predominantly use [l]s, leading to a restructuring process in Yami phonology.
Keywords: lateral, palatalized, Yami, language contact, rootedness, linguistic ecology, cross-linguistic transfer
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction and background
    • 1.1Phonetics of palatalized laterals
    • 1.2/l/ Variation: Scenarios and outcomes
  • 2.Lateral variation in Yami
    • 2.1Yami phonology: The basics
    • 2.2Yami lateral sounds
    • 2.3Research goals and hypotheses
  • 3.Linguistic ecology of Orchid Island
    • 3.1Social dynamics in Yami society
    • 3.2Language contact and sociolinguistic effects
  • 4.Methods
    • 4.1Fieldwork
    • 4.2Participants
    • 4.3Data elicitation
    • 4.4Target /l/ words
    • 4.5Data analyses
      • 4.5.1Datasets
      • 4.5.2Variables
      • 4.5.3Measurements, extraction, and normalization
    • 4.6Statistical analyses
  • 5.Yami lateral realization (all /l/ tokens)
    • 5.1Formant distance
    • 5.2Duration
  • 6.Lateral realization in /l/_[i] context
    • 6.1Overview of variability in /l/-palatalization
    • 6.2Regression analyses
      • 6.2.1F2–F1 distance
      • 6.2.2Duration
  • 7.Discussion
    • 7.1Patterning of /li/ realization
    • 7.2Loss of /l/-palatalization: Catalysts and implications
    • 7.3Future directions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 11 January 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.20003.lai
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