An usage-based quantitative study of the sound system of Beijing Mandarin

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25884094
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Kobe University (2014); National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (2013)
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Yasunori 神戸大学, 国際コミュニケーションセンター, 講師 (90709320)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 中国語 / 音韻論 / 音声学 / 自然発話

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the relationship between phonetic reduction and word frequency in Beijing Mandarin. Previous researchers studying English and Spanish argue that the high frequency words encourage the phonetic reduction of the neighboring words. However, This study found that, in Beijing Mandarin, the frequency effects are very weak and may be cancelled if other linguistic factors (for example, phonetic factors) compete with it.
In addition, this study conducted preliminary research of experimental phonology in the Shanghai and Lianjiang dialects to develop new methods of phonological analyses based on a huge phonetic database. we successfully conducted phonological analyses based on acoustic data especially in the research of the Shanghai dialect.

Free Research Field

音韻論