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Article published In: Asia-Pacific Language Variation
Vol. 9:1 (2023) ► pp.29–58

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Fortifying cuteness

Obstruent fortition and Aegyo

ORCiD logo with link | University of South Carolina
 | University of Minnesota
Published online: 24 July 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.22005.cro
Abstract
The term aegyo refers to a cute style of speech in Korean with numerous reported phonetic correlates. One of these is obstruent fortition (OF). The present study examines the gender and age effects of OF across 21 romantic couples and across eight mock situations (date, workplace, family, comfort, date-planning, request, expression of love). Results revealed a significant interaction between performance of aegyo and age, such that younger participants exhibited higher rates of OF when performing aegyo than when not performing aegyo, whereas older participants did not. Results also revealed a gender effect such that women employed more OF than men, and a situation effect such that OF was more likely to occur in romantic situations, suggesting its indexicality of romantic intimacy.
Abstract (Korean)
귀여움 강화하기: 장애음의 강화와 애교
애교라는 용어는 여러 음성학적인 현상과 관련되어 있는 한국어의 귀여운 발화양식을 가리킨다. 이 중 하나가 장애음의 강화 (혀짧은 소리의 한 양상)를 통한 애교 발화양식이다. 본 연구는 8가지 상황극 (데이트, 직장, 가족, 위로, 데이트 계획하기, 부탁, 사랑의 표시)을 통해 애교/비애교 발화시 장애음 강화(Obstruent Fortition, OF)의 비율을 살펴보고, 이에 미치는 성별과 연령의 효과를 검토한다. 총 21 쌍의 부부 또는 커플이 상황극 실험에 참가하였다. 실험 결과, 애교 발화시 장애음의 강화의 비율이 연령 간에 통계학으로 유의미한 차이를 보였다. 즉, 40대 미만 참여자들은 애교 발화시에 비애교 발화시에 비해서 장애음의 강화의 비율이 높았는데 40대 이상 참여자들은 큰 변화가 없었다. 아울러, 애교 발화시 장애음의 강화의 비율이 성별 간에 유의미하게 차이를 보였다. 애교 발화시 여성 참여자들이 남성 참여자들에 비해 장애음의 강화를 더 많이 사용했다. 마지막으로, 상황에 따라 장애음의 강화의 비율이 다르게 나타났다. 8가지 상황극 중 낭만적인 상황극을 진행할 때, 장애음의 강화가 더 두드러지게 나타났는데, 이 결과는 장애음의 강화가 낭만적인 긴밀함을 표지한다는 것을 시사한다.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Aegyo
    • 1.2Obstruent fortition in aegyo
    • 1.3Research questions
  • 2.Methods
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Stimuli
    • 2.3Procedure
    • 2.4Measurements
    • 2.5Statistical analysis
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Descriptive results
    • 3.2Statistical results
      • 3.2.1Statistical model
    • 3.3Lexical effects
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Jang, Hayeun
2025. How labial and alveolar consonants evoke the images of softness and cuteness?: Experiments with Korean speakers. Lingua 314 ► pp. 103868 ff. DOI logo

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