School of Languages and Linguistics - Research Publications

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    The secondary roles of amplitude and F0 in the perception of word-initial geminates in Kelantan Malay
    Hamzah, MH ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; Calhoun, S ; Escudero, P ; TABAIN, M ; Warren, P (Australasian Speech Science and Technology Australia (ASSTA), 2019)
    This study examines the extent to which amplitude and F0 play secondary roles in perceptually cueing the word-initial singleton/geminate consonant contrast in Kelantan Malay (KM). Three voiceless stop word-pairs produced in isolation, i.e. utterance-initial position, were chosen for manipulation in three perception experiments involving KM native listeners. Results show that amplitude and F0 have limited perceptual functions on their own, although the combined values of the two parameters do have some effect on the perception of the consonant contrast. These results are expected for the utterance-initial voiceless stop pairs given the absence of closure duration information as a perceptual cue in this context. The findings support the view that the consonant length distinction in word-initial position, particularly for voiceless stops, can be potentially cued by a set of secondary parameters, e.g. amplitude and F0, alongside the primary acoustic parameter of closure duration.
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    Sociophonetic variablity of postvocalic /t/ in Aboriginal and mainstream Australian English
    Loakes, D ; McDougall, K ; Clothier, J ; Hajek, J ; Fletcher, J ; Epps, J ; Wolfe, J ; Smith, J ; Jones, C (ASSTA, 2018)
    This paper analyses post-vocalic /t/ variability in controlled speech across two groups, both L1 Aboriginal English and mainstream Australian English speakers. Data were collected in Warrnambool, a small community in western Victoria (Australia). While both Aboriginal English and mainstream Australian English speakers used canonical aspirated [tʰ] a range of other variants were observed. The Aboriginal English group used a greater number of variants overall, and tended toward “glottal” variants (full glottal stops, pre-glottalised stops, and ejective-like stops) whereas the mainstream Australian group preferred so-called “breathy” variants (affricates, fricatives); we attribute this to sociophonetic variability, potentially linked with voice quality and glottal timing. Overall, the study highlights some previously undocumented variation both within L1 Aboriginal English, and between L1 Aboriginal English and mainstream Australian English.
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    Prosodic effects on vowel spectra in three Australian languages
    Graetzer, S ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; Campbell, N ; Gibbon, D ; Hirst, D (International Speech Communications Association, 2014)
    In this paper, the spectral properties of vowels in three Australian languages are examined with the aim of determining whether prosodic prominence and domain-edge effects on formant frequencies, formant variability and vowel space dispersion can be identified. It is shown that these vowel systems are sufficiently dispersed, with an anchoring of the system by the open central vowel. It is also shown that for Burarra but not for Gupapuyngu or Warlpiri there is some evidence of prosodically-driven hyper-articulation. Finally, the data indicate pre-boundary lengthening in all three languages, which in some cases appears to be associated with changes in vowel quality.
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    The role of closure duration in the perception of word-initial geminates in Kelantan Malay.
    Hamzah, MH ; FLETCHER, J ; Hajek, J ; Carignan, C ; Tyler, M (ASSTA, 2016)
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    Amplitude and F0 as acoustic correlates of Kelantan Malay word-initial geminates
    Hamzah, M ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; Hay, J (University of Canterbury, 2014)
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    Identifying /el/-/æl/: A comparison between two regional Australian towns
    Loakes, D ; Hajek, J ; Clothier, J ; Fletcher, J ; Hay, J ; Parnell, E (University of Canterbury, 2014)
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    Word-initial voiceless stop geminates in Kelantan Malay: Acoustic evidence from amplitude/F0 ratios
    Hamzah, MH ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; Wolters, M ; Livingstone, J ; Beattie, B ; Smith, R ; MacMahon, M ; Stuart-Smith, J ; Scobbie, J (University of Glasgow, 2015)
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    Short vowels in L1 Aboriginal English spoken in Western Victoria
    LOAKES, D ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; Clothier, J ; Volchok, B ; Carignan, C ; Tyler, MD (Causal Productions, 2016-12-16)
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    Hyperarticulation in short intonational phrases in three Australian languages
    Graetzer, S ; Fletcher, J ; Hajek, J ; BARNES, J ; VEILLEUX, N ; SHATTUCK-HUFNAGEL, S ; BRUGOS, A (ISCA, 2016-06-06)
    In Lindblom's Hyper- and Hypo-articulation (H & H) theory, speech varies between clear and less clear depending on the communicative context. Hyperarticulation is known to reflect prosodic boundary information and prosodic prominence or focus. The realisation of hyperarticulation appears to differ between languages. In this study of three Australian languages, it is asked whether, in pre-boundary position in short prosodic phrases, vowel lengthening tends to co-occur with acoustic evidence of hyperarticulation. Further, it is asked whether hyperarticulation is stronger in the pre-boundary syllable than in the post-boundary one. It is demonstrated that pre-boundary lengthening in short intonational phrases in Australian languages tends to co-occur with an increase in vowel peripherality.