Doctoral Dissertation Research: Combining quantitative analysis and corpus-based methodologies in the documentation of an endangered language

大多数语音语言学理论，以及为之提供信息的跨语言研究，都是建立在对几种经过充分研究的语言的研究基础上的。关于说话者较少的语言的发音系统(音系学)，我们所知的要少得多。此外，对研究不足的语言的描述，特别是对语音系统的描述，很容易受到语言学家的母语的偏见。非母语的听者偏见往往会导致相互矛盾的描述，因此不适合进行跨语言比较。这个项目考察了一种未被充分研究和濒危的语言的语音系统。以前对其语音系统的描述很少，但现有的文献表明，这种语言包括一些具有特殊理论或类型学意义的特征。例如，该语言使用脐带状发音、声门化发音和清音侧音。这些发音(或发音集合)中的每一个在跨语言方面都很少见。它们在这种特定语言中的出现也是意想不到的；与其他语言的声音系统相比，在这个系统中共同出现的一组声音和特征是不寻常的。此外，这项研究具有地区性的意义；它将扩大语言学家对接触驱动的语言变化的理解，并阐明该地区各群体之间的长期接触历史。这项研究结合了传统的方法--包括记录语音的音频-视频语料库、书面转录和受控启发--与定量实验方法相结合。该项目的实验部分以理论和类型学感兴趣的问题为目标。例如，说话者使用什么声学提示来产生和感知重音？长元音和短元音是分开的吗？应该把“吱吱作响的声音”作为单个片段、单词或短语的一个特征来分析吗？对照实验的结果将与传统的、语料库驱动的结论相结合，以开发对以前未描述的系统的全面音系学描述。精确、定量的分析，结合全面的描述和公开可用的语料库，将使这些结果有助于解决与发音模式、语言类型、语言接触和历时变化有关的更广泛的问题。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Most phonological linguistic theory, and the cross-linguistic studies which inform it, is based on studies of a few, well-studied languages. Much less is known about the sound systems (phonology) of languages with fewer speakers. Furthermore, descriptions of understudied languages, particularly of sound systems, are easily biased by linguists' native languages. Non-native listener biases often lead to contradictory descriptions which are therefore unsuitable for cross-linguistic comparisons. This project examines the phonological system of an understudied and endangered language. Previous description of its phonological system is sparse, but existing documentation indicates that this language includes some features which are of special theoretical or typological interest. For example, the language uses uvular sounds, glottalized sonorants, and a voiceless lateral fricative. Each of these sounds (or sets of sounds) is cross-linguistically uncommon. Their appearance in this particular language is also unexpected; in comparison to other languages' sound systems, the set of sounds and features which co-occur in this system is unusual. In addition, the study is of regional interest; it will expand linguists' understanding of contact-driven language change and shed light on long-term histories of contact among groups in the region. This study combines traditional methodologies—including recording an audio-video corpus of speech, written transcription, and controlled elicitation—with quantitative experimental methodologies. The experimental component of the project targets questions of theoretical and typological interest. For example, what acoustic cues to speakers use to produce and perceive stress? Are long vowels separate segments from shorter vowels? Should 'creaky voice' be analyzed as a feature of individual segments, words, or phrases? Results from controlled experiments will be integrated with traditional, corpus-driven conclusions to develop a comprehensive phonological description of a previously undescribed system. Precise, quantitative analysis, integrated with a holistic description and publicly-available corpus of language data, will allow these results to contribute to broader questions related to sound patterns, language typology, language contact, and diachronic change.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.