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Article published In: Variation in the Pacific: Part I
Edited by Eri Kashima and Miriam Meyerhoff
[Asia-Pacific Language Variation 6:2] 2020
► pp. 196–221

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Onset glottal stop deletion in Suva Rotuman

 | University of the South Pacific
Published online: 18 December 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.19016.fim
Abstract
This paper studies onset glottal stop deletion in the speech of Suva Rotumans, Fiji. The speech of 18 speakers was analysed and seven factors were tested to identify their prediction on glottal stop deletion. The linguistic factors tested were preceding sound segment, grammatical class, syllable stress, and style, while the social factors were age, gender, and denominational affiliation. Results reveal a change in progress, but towards glottal stop retention. Younger Rotumans and older Rotuman women are deleting glottal stops less compared to middle-aged women and older men. The low incidence of deletion by younger speakers is most probably due to identity, language education in Rotuman, and their increased awareness of their role in preserving the language. Additionally, older women are deleting glottal stops less, which could be attributed to contact, identity, and their consciousness of the standard.
Abstract (Rotuman)
Peap te‘is sạkiroa fäeag Rotuạm ‘on famör Rotuma ne noh ‘e Fiti. Iạ sạkiroa a‘es‘ao‘ạkiạg ne tō ne ‘ȧn‘ȧk ta ‘e kamatag ne väeväe ne fäega. Peap te‘is garue‘ạkia Rbrul se fäeag ‘on famör saghul ma vol ma ‘io se tēkäe he hif: tō ‘e muạ ne ‘ȧn‘ȧk ta, kilas ne fäega, mah ne väeväe ne fäega, fā ne hạnit, style ne fäega ma rotu. Tē het ne peap te‘is kel‘ạkim ne fäeag Rotuạm ta kamat la jen. Fā mamfua ma famör fạu folaghul se limaghul ta kat a‘es‘ao‘ȧk ma‘oi ra ‘e tō ne ‘ȧn‘ȧk la fak se fup haharạgi ma hạiạn mamfua hün a‘ti‘ se ‘oris rakoag fäeag Rotuạm ta tape‘ma se ‘oris la putuạg ne fäeag Rotuạm ta. Tēkäe hoi‘ạkit ne rak‘ạkim ne hạiạn Rotuma kat a‘es‘ao‘ȧk a‘fuamamạu ra ‘e tō ne ‘ȧn‘ȧk ta ‘e hün se iris pa fäeag Rotuạm ofrạu ta.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background on Rotuman society
  • 3.Rotuman
  • 4.The glottal stop
    • 4.1Glottal stop as a phoneme and grapheme
    • 4.2Glottal stop and sound change
  • 5.Methodology
    • 5.1Speech sample and data collection
    • 5.2Interviews
    • 5.3The variable and coding
    • 5.4Linguistic factors
      • 5.4.1Preceding sound segment
      • 5.4.2Grammatical class
      • 5.4.3Syllable stress
    • 5.5Social factors
      • 5.5.1Age and gender
      • 5.5.2Denominational affiliation
      • 5.5.3Style
  • 6.Results
  • 7.Discussion
    • 7.1Resyllabification and dissimilation
    • 7.2Effects of lack of stress and function words
    • 7.3Rotuman women and the standard
    • 7.4Change in progress towards retention
    • 7.5Further questions on denominational variation
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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