This is to prove that the dissertation entitled, "A Phonetic Description of Assam Sora" submitted by Mr. For this reason, the comparison between Assam Sora and existing descriptions of Orissa Sora is insufficient.
Introduction
Next, the research objectives are presented in §1.5, and the methodology adopted to achieve the stated objectives is discussed in detail in §1.6.
Ethnolinguistic and linguistic background of SoraSora
- Phylogenetic classification of Sora
- Sora nomenclature
- Varieties of Sora
- Sora in the literature
- Sora orthography
Development and documentation of the Sora language of Assam is different from the Sora language of Orissa. From Sidwell (2013) it is therefore known that there are at least 13 primary branches of the Austroasiatic language family.
Historical background of tea labourers’ migra- tion to Assamtion to Assam
- Scarcity of tea labour in Assam
- Indentured tea labourers in their homeland
- Gross recruitment of indentured tea labourers
- Migration of Soras to Assam
- Subjugation and isolation of indentured tea labourers in Assamin Assam
However, it has been found, in the post-migration period, a dominant attitude of the tea planters contributed largely to the preservation of the language of the tea workers in Assam, including the Soras. Thus, the migration of tea indentured laborers resulted in the creation of a multilingual society in the tea gardens of Assam.
Population movement and languages
Linguistic characteristics of transplanted languages
Thus, the evidence suggests that the migration of language communities causes language contact, and language contact makes transplanted languages usually distinguishable from the original language. Also, in some cases it is observed that transplanted languages tend to change and differ from the original language.
Sociology of transplanted languages
Thus, the two basic categories of transplanted languages suggest that the survival of transplanted languages depends mainly on the social status of the migrant community as well as on their linguistic composition. However, research has shown that language change in transplanted languages depends largely on the contact relationship between the migrant community and the host community.
Research objectives
Methodology
- Areas of field study
- Composition of the data
- Data recording and annotation
- Participants
- Acoustic and temporal measurements
- Data representation and statistical measurements
The acoustic analysis of vowels is based on the formant frequencies of the first two formants (F1 and F2). The analysis of word-initial oral final consonants is based on VOT (Voice Onset Time) values of final consonants, which is calculated by measuring the duration between the release of the oral final consonant and the onset of the glottal beat of the following vowel.
Organisation of the dissertation
An analysis of the oral stages based on the VOT of the six step consonants and an analysis of the glottal stages describes its different phonetic realization in Assam Sora. For nasal consonants, this chapter mainly classifies the physical properties of Assam Sora nasals according to their acoustic phonetic characteristics.
Introduction
Therefore, this chapter provides an overview of the characteristic speech sounds of Assam Sora using the primary data collected during this work. Therefore, in this chapter, while reviewing the segmental features of Austroasiatic and Munda languages, some of these controversial issues are also discussed.
Literature review
Segmental properties of Austroasiatic languages
Similarly, retroflex sounds like /ú,ã,ó/ occur in many Munda languages in South Asian Austroasiatic languages, but are not found in Austroasiatic languages of Southeast Asia. However, it is not conclusive whether small vowel system is actually evidence of vowel reduction in the Munda branch of South Asian Austroasiatic languages or not.
Segmental properties of Munda languages
For example, Konow (1908) mentions the lower mid vowels [E] and [O] are not easily distinguishable in Munda languages. Likewise, Bhattacharya (1975) mentions that although [E] and [O] occur in some Munda languages, they are not Proto-Munda vowels.
Segmental properties of Orissa Sora
Zide (1982) provides a surface phonetic inventory of Orissa Sora phonemes, including some allophonic variations that are not included in the phoneme inventory of Orissa Sora. It is therefore clear that there are inconsistencies in the proposed phoneme inventories of Orissa Sora.
Orissa Sora vowel phonemes
Also, two other recent descriptions of the Orissa Sora vowel sound reveal some other conflicting views. Moreover, there are conflicting views even regarding the later descriptions of Orissa Sora vowel phonemes.
Orissa Sora consonant phonemes
Zide (1982) mentions that in Orissa Sora the consonant /d/ varies between dental, alveolar and retroflex articulation. The second fricative consonant in Orissa Sora suggested by Ramamurti is the voiced palatal fricative /J/.
Overview of Assam Sora vowel phonemes
Importantly, the Assam Sora vowel inventory differs from the Orissa Sora vowel inventory proposed by various scholars. Therefore, the smaller Orissa Sora vowel inventories are somewhat similar to the Assam Sora vowel inventory.
Overview of Assam Sora consonant phonemes
- Stops
- Nasals
- Fricative and Affricate
- Liquids and Approximants
However, the labial approximant /w/ found in Assam Sora does not occur consistently in Orissa Sora. Moreover, it is clear from the description of the inventory of consonants in Assam Sora that most.
Conclusions
Therefore, there is no significant indication that there is a diachronic change in the consonant inventory of Assam Sora from the consonant inventory of Orissa Sora. These studies reveal that while the consonant stock of Orissa Sora is fairly uniform, the vowel stock is significantly different.
Introduction
The phonetic basis of a syllable structure is often defined by the notion of sound peak, since sound peaks help identify the number of syllables in a given utterance (Mannell et al., 2009). However, there are constraints regarding the positioning and number of phonemes in a syllable structure, and such constraints are known as phonotactic constraints (Mannell et al., 2009).
Syllable structure in Assam Sora
Likewise, data reported in this chapter also reveal that the form of the Assam Sora syllable is (C)V(C). Assam Sora consonants that can occur in initial and coda position of the first and second syllables are presented in Table 3.1.
Word stress in Austroasiatic and Munda lan- guagesguages
Hence, Anderson & Zide (2002) suggest that free forms in Munda languages are bound by a bimoraic constraint. These studies thus suggest that the presence of iambic stress in Munda languages is an important segmental feature.
Acoustic analysis of word stress in Assam Sora
Vowel duration in first and second syllable of Assam Sora disyllablesSora disyllables
The kernel density distribution of the speaker's normalized vowel durations in the first and second syllables is shown in Figure 3.2. From Figure 3.2, it is evident that the vowel duration difference in the first and second syllables of the Assam Sora disyllables are clearly separated.
Fundamental frequency in first and second syllable of Assam Sora disyllablesAssam Sora disyllables
Accordingly, Figures 3.3 and 3.4 present the graphical representations of speaker-normalized mean and maximum fundamental frequency discrimination in first and second syllables of Assam Sora disyllables. Thus, Figures 3.5 and 3.6 present the kernel density distribution of speaker normalized mean and maximum fundamental frequency in first and second syllables of Assam Sora disyllabics.
Vowel intensity in first and second syllable of Assam Sora disyllablesSora disyllables
Thus, Figure 3.7 presents the region wise graphical representation of speaker normalized mean vowel intensity distinction between first and second syllable in Assam Sora disyllabics. Thus, kernel density estimation of speaker-normalized mean vowel intensity in first and second syllables of Assam Sora disyllables is presented in Figure 3.8.
Conclusions
It is noticeable that there is some overlap in the average difference in vowel strength in the Assam Sora spoken in the Singrijhan region. While the fundamental frequency is significantly higher in the second syllable in the Assam Sora variant in all regions except Lamabari.
Introduction
However, to justify this assumption, it is important to examine how Assam Sora vowel system relates to some of the theories about vowel system. This is followed by the acoustic phonetic description of Assam Sora vowel phonemes in §4.3 and the Assam Sora vowel plots are discussed in §4.4.
Vowel systems and theories
Quantal Theory
However, if a major change is made to an articulatory configuration, changes in the auditory response will also occur. Stevens (1989) also argues that these quantitative areas in phonology actually correlate with the distinctive features, such that an acoustic output changes only in response to the addition of a particular distinctive feature in the articulatory configuration.
Adaptive Dispersion theory
Therefore, a single non-peripheral vowel in the inventory does not require excessive horizontal or vertical expansion of the periphery. In this way, uniformity in the operation of the Adaptive Dispersion theory ensures the correlation between the number of vowels in the inventory and its overall acoustic vowel space.
Dispersion-Focalization theory
Therefore, Adaptive Dispersion theory predicts that vowel systems with a large number of vowels will have greater dispersion between point vowels, resulting in a larger acoustic space. While vowel systems with a smaller number of vowels will have a smaller spread between the pointed vowels, resulting in a smaller acoustic space.
Interpretation of Assam Sora vowel formants
Formant frequency of central vowels /@/ and /a/ in Assam Sora
The vowel /@/ is a mid-central vowel and the vowel /a/ is a low-central vowel in Assam Sora. Furthermore, the F2 frequency of the two vowels indicates that the vowel /@/ is sometimes produced earlier than the vowel /a/ in Assam Sora.
Formant frequency of back vowels /u/ and /o/ in As- sam Sora
Likewise, a similar F1 frequency difference between the two vowels is uniformly present in the Assam Sora data recorded from. Similarly, the mid vowel /@/ in Assam Sora is produced in front of the low central vowel /a/ and higher than the mid front and back vowels /e/ and /o/.
Assam Sora vowel plots
Therefore, vowel plots illustrated in the following section represent speaker-normalized formant frequencies for all six vowels in Assam Sora. It is also revealed that the shape of the Assam Sora vowel inventory is similar for Assam Sora speakers in all four regions.
Assam Sora vowel formants in individual syl- lables of disyllableslables of disyllables
F1 and F2 of similar vowels in individual syllables of disyllablesdisyllables
Thus, region-wise Assam sora vowel plots over first and second syllables are presented in Figure 4.2. From Figure 4.2, it is clear that Assam Sora vowels are positioned differently in first and second syllables of disyllabic words.
F1 and F2 of adjacent vowels in individual syllables of disyllables
The regional Euclidean distance between central vowels /a/ and /@/ in the first and second syllables is shown in table 4.9. From Table 4.9 it is clear that the Euclidean distance between /a/ and /@/ is usually smaller in the first syllable than in the second syllable.
Assam Sora vowel space in individual syllables of di- syllables
Therefore, this section examines the vowel space of the Assam Sora vowel system in the first and second syllables of disyllabic words. Estimated vowel area space of the Assam Sora vowel system in the first and second syllables of disyllabic words is presented in Table 4.11.
Distinctiveness of Assam Sora vowels
Euclidean distance and statistical distinctiveness
Therefore, it is clear that syllable position not only affects the formant frequencies of individual vowels in the two syllables, but it also affects the overall shape and structure of the Assam Sora vowel system. Therefore, the statistical tests support the acoustic analysis which suggests that Assam Sora has six vowels and each vowel is categorically separated from each other.
Conclusions
Therefore, this chapter concludes that the six vowels are categorically distinct in Assam Sora in four regions in Assam and syllable position plays an important role in the Assam Sora vowel system. In this regard, the Assam Sora vowel system of six vowel phonemes adequately resembles an optimal vowel system, and the analysis in this chapter provides adequate evidence.
Introduction
None of the extant descriptions of Orissa Sora mention only the voiced postveolar affricate /Ã/ in Assam Sora. However, the palatal sounds reported in Orissa Sora may be similar to the voiced affricate consonant in Assam Sora.
Nasal consonants in Assam Sora
Acoustic characteristics of nasal consonants in Assam SoraSora
Significantly, as a result of these anti-formants, the amplitude of the nasal formant frequency in nasal sounds is reduced. Therefore, the classification of the nasals in Assam Sora is done by examining the nasal formants and the anti-formants.
Voicing contrast in Assam Sora stop conso- nantsnants
Acoustic characteristics of voicing contrast in stop con- sonantssonants
The main emphasis is on the listener's ability to distinguish voiced and voiceless consonants. There is also evidence that there is a sharp perceptual contrast between the VOT of voiced and voiceless stop consonants.
VOT of Assam Sora stop consonants
Therefore, the following section examines the VOT properties of the six stop consonants in Assam Sora. Therefore, acoustic analysis of the six stop consonants in Assam Sora confirms that the VOT of voiced and voiceless stops categorically separate their voicing contrasts, and the difference is statistically significant.
Glottal stop /P/ in Assam Sora
Phonetic realization of /P/ in Assam Sora
The squeaky voiced glottal stop is similar to the voiced glottal stop in Assam Sora. Additionally, the squeaky sounding glottal stop in Assam Sora also shows variation in the pitch pattern.
Conclusions
