MANCHU-ENGLISH

Contrast in Manchu vowel systems

By Xi Zhang , Dresher B.E.

Book information

Language
manchu-english
Format
PDF
Filesize
82 kB (84345 bytes)
Pages
\30
Topic
Linguistics Foreign
Library
twirpx
Time added
2017-08-07 07:01:42
Языки и языкознание;Маньчжурский язык

Description

University of Toronto. Presented at the 1st International Conference on Manchu-Tungus Studies (ICMTS 1). University of Bonn, August 28 – September 1, 2000. — 30 p.Contrast plays an important role in accounting for the patterning of vowel systems in the Manchu languages. The phonological representation of a vowel depends in part on what other vowels it contrasts with. We will show that although Written Manchu /i/ phonetically has advanced tongue root (ATR), it is not contrastively ATR, and hence does not trigger ATR harmony. Similarly, Written Manchu /u/ is phonetically, but not contrastively, labial. We will also argue for a particular way of determining contrastiveness, in terms of a contrastive hierarchy of features. Our analysis of the written Manchu contrastive hierarchy is further supported by synchronic and diachronic evidence from spoken Manchu and Xibe.

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