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Article published In: Regional Chinese in Contact
Edited by James A. Walker
[Asia-Pacific Language Variation 5:1] 2019
► pp. 67–83

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Vowel shifts in Cantonese?

Toronto vs. Hong Kong

 | University of Pittsburgh
Published online: 13 June 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.19001.tse
Abstract
This paper addresses Labov’s principles of vowel chain shifting in Toronto and Hong Kong Cantonese based on sociolinguistic interviews from the Heritage Language Variation and Change in Toronto Project. The analysis is based on normalized F1 and F2 values of 33,179 vowel tokens from 11 monophthongs produced by 32 speakers (8 from Hong Kong, 24 from Toronto). In Toronto, results show retraction of [y] by generation but fronting of [i] by age. In Hong Kong, age is a significant predictor for the lowering of [ɪ], [ʊ], [ɔ], and for the fronting of [ɔ] and [i]. Overall, there is more vowel shifting in Hong Kong than in Toronto and the shifting is consistent with Labov’s Principles.
Abstract (Chinese)
本文採用【多倫多族裔語言變異與變化】計畫訪談數據，檢視 Labov 元音鏈轉換理論喺多倫多同香港粵語中嘅呈現。語料係32個發音人（香港 8位，多倫多 24位）嘅11個單元音嘅F1 同F2 值（共33,179個音檔）。結果表明，當群體（移民到加拿大 vs. 加拿大長大）被模擬為主要因子嗰陣，多倫多群中呈現 [y] 音嘅後置化。當年齡被模擬為主要因子嗰陣，[i] 喺年輕族群中顯示出喺顯像時間(apparent time)內呈現向前嘅趨勢。另一方面喺香港組，年齡係降低 [ɪ]，[ʊ]，[ɔ]同埋[ɔ]同[i] 前置嘅重要預測因子。總括嚟講，結果顯示香港嘅元音轉移比多倫多更多，整體過程符合Labov 嘅原則。
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
  • 3.Data and methods
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Vowel space overview
    • 4.2Generation
    • 4.3Age
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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2023. Subsegmental representation in child speech production: structured variability of stop consonant voice onset time in American English and Cantonese. Journal of Child Language 50:5 ► pp. 1245 ff. DOI logo
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2022. What can Cantonese heritage speakers tell us about age of acquisition, linguistic dominance, and sociophonetic variation?. In Variation in Second and Heritage Languages [Studies in Language Variation, 28], ► pp. 97 ff. DOI logo
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