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Why do Japanese preceive geminates not existing in the source language? : A new approach by acoustic and articulatory phonetics

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16520266
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Linguistics
Research InstitutionKyoto Sangyo University

Principal Investigator

KAWAGOE Itsue  Kyoto Sangyo University, Department of Foreign Languages, Professor (30177662)

Project Period (FY) 2004 – 2006
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2006)
Budget Amount *help
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Keywordsgeminates / English sound data / loanwords from English / acoustic characters / perception tests / non words / word duration / syllable structure
Research Abstract

When English words are borrowed into Japanese, some words are borrowed with geminate consonants which English language doesn't have. So an English word, 'set' is borrowed as 'setto' with a geminate, while 'sect' is borrowed as 'sekuto' without a geminate. This study examines from the acoustic point of view why some English words are perceived with geminates, while some are not. Four acoustic factors proposed in the previous studies of Japanese geminates based on Japanese words were scrutinized to see if any of them could be the affecting factors of Japanese speakers' perception of geminates in English.
English-like non words, /tek/, /tekt/, /teks/, /tekl/, /tekin/, /teg/, /teb/, /teklin/, /tektin/, recorded by the English native speakers, were used in the perception test, where, as a grand total, 140 Japanese people participated. The results were statistically analyzed contrasting two or three items each, like /tek/ and /teg/. When there was significant difference of perception rate of geminates, then, acoustic correlates of the difference was examined among the four factors, duration of a target consonant, ratio of a target consonant to preceding vowel duration, ratio of a target consonant to word duration and word duration. Our results correlated highly with word duration and ratio of a target consonant to word duration.
We thus conclude that word duration and ratio of a target consonant to word duration are the strongest cues for the perception of gemination in English-like sound strings by Japanese speakers. This conclusion declines the widely accepted view which claims ratio of a target consonant to preceding vowel duration is the main cue for the perception of gemination in English.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2006 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2005 Annual Research Report
  • 2004 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (4 results)

All 2007

All Journal Article (2 results) Presentation (2 results)

  • [Journal Article] 英語風音声における日本語話者の促音知覚2007

    • Author(s)
      川越 いつえ・荒井 雅子
    • Journal Title

      日本音声学会『音声研究』 11-1

      Pages: 23-34

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2006 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] 英語風音声における日本語話者の促音知覚2007

    • Author(s)
      川越いつえ, 荒井雅子
    • Journal Title

      音声研究 11巻1号(未定)

    • Related Report
      2006 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Factors affecting Japanese speakers'perception of geminates in English2007

    • Author(s)
      川越 いつえ
    • Organizer
      4th intemational conference on phonology and morphology
    • Place of Presentation
      Hanyang University,Seoul,Korea
    • Year and Date
      2007-06-19
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2006 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Presentation] Factors affecting Japanese speakers'perception of geminates in English.2007

    • Author(s)
      Itsue Kawagoe
    • Organizer
      4th International conference on phonology and morphology
    • Place of Presentation
      Hanyang University Seoul, Korea
    • Year and Date
      2007-06-19
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2006 Final Research Report Summary

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Published: 2004-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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