Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Linguistics
Advisor
Kyle Gorman
Advisor
Martin Chodorow
Subject Categories
Computational Linguistics | Linguistics | Phonetics and Phonology
Abstract
One type of variation in pronunciation that is associated with fast and/or conversational speech is massive reduction, in which entire syllables are deleted. We focus on a subtype of massive reduction, pretonic vowel deletion, where the vowel in an unstressed syllable is deleted and the flanking consonants form an onset cluster, V --> φ / C__C, such as the word Columbus reduced to the two-syllable pronunciation [klʌmbəs], resulting in the onset cluster [kl]. The main question asks what predictors are associated with pretonic vowel deletion. Furthermore, we evaluate the Lexicalist Hypothesis and Sonority Projection as explanations of the phenomenon. The results indicate that sonority distance, cluster type frequency, and word frequency have significant and independent contributions to massive reduction. This supports a combination of the Lexicalist Hypothesis and Sonority Projection accounts.
Recommended Citation
Barnett-Rhodes, Whitney, "Factors Affecting Pretonic Deletion in English Syllables: A Corpus Study" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6041