A New Study on Phonetic Confrontation and Dynamics between Hokuo and Nano Dialect Based on Multifaceted Analysis of Articulation

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00602
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02070:Japanese linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: OHASHI JUNICHI 秋田大学, 教育文化学部, 教授 (20337273)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 北奥・南奥方言 / 音声対立 / 中舌化 / 低母音化 / 非円唇化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

No follow-up survey has been conducted on the phonetic conflict between the Hokuo and Nano dialects since previous research outlined it. Also, in previous studies, the centralization of narrow vowels /-i/ /-u/ was the main classification index, and the relationship between the position of the tongue in front and back was a major pillar for separating both dialects. In this study, we reconsidered the actual situation from both the tongue articulation (back and forth, high and low) and the mouth shape (rounded and unrounded lips), and examined the phonetic opposition of both dialects by multilateral analysis from these viewpoints. As a result, by comparing which of the several elements appearing during pronunciation, which element changed first, it was suggested that there may be new regional differences in the pronunciation changes of the Tohoku dialect.

Free Research Field

日本語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

東北方言の音声が、日本海沿岸西部を中心とする北奥的ジージー弁と太平洋沿岸東部を中心とする南奥的ズーズー弁とで対立することは、柴田武ほかの報告以来、およそ半世紀にわたり、学界の定説となっている。本研究では、その対立の現状がどのようであるかを、両方言の比較調査により明らかにしようとした。加えて本研究では、各実相を舌調音と口唇形状が連動する構造的な現象と捉え直し、その相関を音響分析と口形分析という客観的手法により検証を行った。一般にズーズー弁と称され、学問的のみならず、社会的な認知や関心も高い当現象について、従来の研究を踏まえつつ、新しい観点から究明を試みた点に本研究の学術的・社会的意義がある。