Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:37:11.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13 - Tonal Processes Defined as Articulatory-based Contextual Tonal Variation

from Part Three - Phonetic-phonological Issues in Chinese

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2022

By
Yi Xu  and
Albert Lee
Edited by
Chu-Ren Huang ,
Yen-Hwei Lin ,
I-Hsuan Chen  and
Yu-Yin Hsu
Chu-Ren Huang
Affiliation:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Yen-Hwei Lin
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
I-Hsuan Chen
Affiliation:
University of California, Berkeley
Yu-Yin Hsu
Affiliation:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Get access

Summary

This chapter reviews studies on contextual tonal variation in Chinese languages, often referred to as ‘tonal coarticulation’ in the literature. We start by explaining why the term ‘contextual variation’ is preferred to ‘coarticulation’ for tones, before introducing different types of contextual variation observed in Chinese languages. The following processes are covered: assimilatory vs. dissimilatory carryover effects, anticipatory effects, microprosodic effects, and pre-planning effects. Next, three debated issues in Chinese linguistics related to contextual variation are discussed. First, are dynamic tones (e.g., rise, fall) underlyingly dynamic or made up of sequences of static tones (e.g., Low-High)? Second, are tones hosted in the rhyme or across an entire syllable? Third, does the Mandarin neutral tone have an underlying target or is it unspecified? Different views on these issues are presented with suggestions on how some of them may be tested and falsified.

Keywords

tonecontextual tonal variationcarryover effectsanticipatory effects
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Chinese Linguistics , pp. 275 - 290
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Botinis, Antonis, Gilbert, Ambrazaitis, and Johan, Frid. 2014. Syllable structure and tonal representation: Revisiting focal accent II in Swedish. In Proceedings of FONETIK 2014, 65–70. Stockholm.Google Scholar
Chen, Matthew. 2000. Tone sandhi: Patterns across Chinese dialects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, Yiya. 2011. How does phonology guide phonetics in segment-f0 interaction? Journal of Phonetics 39:612–25.Google Scholar
Chen, Yiya. 2022. Tone and intonation. In The Cambridge handbook of Chinese linguistics, ed. Huang, Chu-Ren, Lin, Yen-Hwei, Chen, I-Hsuan, and Hsu, Yu-Yin, 336–360. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Chen, Yiya, and Yi, Xu. 2006. Production of weak elements in speech: Evidence from F0 patterns of neutral tone in standard Chinese. Phonetica 63:47–75.Google Scholar
Chen, Zhongmin 陈忠敏. 2015. Breathy voice and low tone 气嗓音与低调. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 43:90–117.Google Scholar
Cheng, Chierh, and Yi, Xu. 2015. Mechanism of disyllabic tonal reduction in Taiwan Mandarin. Language and Speech 58:281–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheng, Robert L. 1968. Tone sandhi in Taiwanese. Linguistics 41:19–42.Google Scholar
Connell, Bruce, and Ladd, Robert. 1990. Aspects of pitch realisation in Yoruba. Phonology 7(1):1–29.Google Scholar
Crystal, David. 2008. A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.Google Scholar
Diehl, Randy L., and Kluender, Keith R.. 1989. On the objects of speech perception. Ecological Psychology 1(2):121–44.Google Scholar
Duanmu, San. 1994. Against contour tone units. Linguistic Inquiry 25(4):555–608.Google Scholar
Franich, Kathryn. 2015. The effect of cognitive load on tonal coarticulation. In Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS 2015). Glasgow.Google Scholar
Gandour, Jackson T., Potisuk, Siripong, and Dechongkit, Sumalee. 1994. Tonal coarticulation in Thai. Journal of Phonetics 22:477–92.Google Scholar
Gu, Wentao, and Lee, Tan. 2009. Effects of tone and emphatic focus on F0 contours of Cantonese speech: A comparison with standard Chinese. Chinese Journal of Phonetics 2:133–47.Google Scholar
Hombert, Jean-Marie, Ohala, John, and Ewan, William. 1979. Phonetic explanations for the development of tones. Language 55:37–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howie, J M.. 1974. On the domain of tone in Mandarin. Phonetica 30:129–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hyman, Larry, and Schuh, Russell G.. 1974. Universals of tone rules: Evidence from west Africa. Linguistic Inquiry 5:81–115.Google Scholar
Klatt, Dennis H. 1976. Linguistic uses of segmental duration in English: Acoustic and perceptual evidence. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 59:1208–21.Google Scholar
Laniran, Yetunde Olabisi, and Gerfen, Chip. 1997. High raising, downstep and downdrift in Igbo. Paper presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
Ladd, Robert, and Silverman, Kim. 1984. Vowel intrinsic pitch in connected speech. Phonetica 41:31–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, Albert, Prom-on, Santitham, and Yi, Xu. 2017. Pre-Low raising in Japanese pitch accent. Phonetica 74:231–46.Google Scholar
Lee, Albert, and Yi, Xu. 2015. Modelling Japanese intonation using PENTAtrainer2. In Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS 2015), Glasgow.Google Scholar
Lee, Albert, and Yi, Xu. 2016. Effect of speech rate on Pre-Low raising in Cantonese. In Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Tonal Aspects of Languages (TAL 2016), 75–79. Buffalo, NY.Google Scholar
Li, Yang. 2015. Tone sandhi and tonal coarticulation in Fuzhou Min. In Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS 2015), Glasgow.Google Scholar
Lin, Tao. 1985. Preliminary experiments in the exploration of the nature of Mandarin neutral tone 探讨北京话轻音性质的初步实验. In Peking University working papers in phonetics 北京语音实验录, ed. Lin, Tao and Wang, Jiali, 1–26. Beijing: Peking University Press.Google Scholar
Liu, Fang, and Xu, Yi. 2007. The neutral tone in question intonation in Mandarin. Proceedings of Interspeech 2007, 630–633.Google Scholar
Löfqvist, Anders, and Gracco, Vincent L.. 1999. Interarticulator programming in VCV sequences: Lip and tongue movements. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 105(3):1864–76.Google Scholar
Menzerath, Paul, and de Lacerda, Armando. 1933. Koartikulation, seuerung und lautabgrenzung, Berlin: Fred. Dummlers.Google Scholar
Peng, Shu-Hui. 1997. Production and perception of Taiwanese tones in different tonal and prosodic contexts. Journal of Phonetics 25:371–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, Gordon E., and Lehiste, Ilse. 1960. Duration of syllable nuclei in English. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 32(6):693–703.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prom-on, Santitham, Liu, Fang, and Yi, Xu. 2012. Post-Low bouncing in Mandarin Chinese: Acoustic analysis and computational modeling. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 132(1):421–432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prom-on, Santitham, and Yi, Xu. 2010. The qTA toolkit for prosody: Learning underlying parameters of communicative functions through modeling. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Speech Prosody (SP2010), Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
Saitou, Takeshi, Unoki, Masashi, and Akagi, Masato. 2005. Development of an F0 control model based on F0 dynamic characteristics for singing-voice synthesis. Speech Communication 46(3–4):405–417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sapir, Shimon. 1989. The intrinsic pitch of vowels: Theoretical, physiological, and clinical considerations. Journal of Voice 3(1):44–51.Google Scholar
Shadle, Christine. 1985. Intrinsic fundamental frequency of vowels in sentence context. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 78(5):1562–1567.Google Scholar
Shen, Xiaonan Susan. 1990. Tonal coarticulation in Mandarin. Journal of Phonetics 18:281–295.Google Scholar
Shih, Chilin. 2000. A declination model of Mandarin Chinese. In Intonation: analysis, modelling and technology, ed. Botinis, Antonis, 243–268. Dordrecht: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, Kim. 1986. F0 segmental cues depend on intonation: The case of the rise after voiced stops. Phonetica 43:76–91.Google Scholar
Steele, Shirley A. 1986. Interaction of vowel F0 and prosody. Phonetica 43:92–105.Google Scholar
Stevens, Kenneth. 1989. On the quantal nature of speech. Journal of Phonetics 17:3–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsay, Jane Su-Chuan, and Myers, James. 1996. Taiwanese tone sandhi as allomorph selection. In Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (BLS22), 394–405. Berkeley, CA.Google Scholar
Turk, Alice, Nakai, Satsuki, and Sugahara, Mariko. 2006. Acoustic segment durations in prosodic research: A practical guide. In Methods in empirical prosody research, ed. Sudhoff, Stefan, Lenertová, Denisa, Meyer, Roland, Pappert, Sandra, Augurzky, Petra, Mleinek, Ina, Richter, Nicole, and Schließer, Johannes, 1–28. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Wang, Bei, and Yi, Xu. 2011. Differential prosodic encoding of topic and focus in sentence-initial position in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of Phonetics 39: 595–611.Google Scholar
Wang, Maolin, and Xiong, Wei. 2015. Downstep and pitch range of high-low tones in Chinese. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity 5:219–223.Google Scholar
Wee, Lian-Hee. 2022. Tonal processes conditioned by morphosyntax. In The Cambridge handbook of Chinese linguistics, ed. Huang, Chu-Ren, Lin, Yen-Hwei, Chen, I-Hsuan, and Hsu, Yu-Yin, 313–335. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Westbury, John R., and Hashi, Michiko. 1997. Lip-Pellet positions during vowels and labial consonants. Journal of Phonetics 25:405–419.Google Scholar
Whalen, Douglas Harry, and Levitt, Andrea G.. 1995. The universality of intrinsic F0 of vowels. Journal of Phonetics 27(2):349–366.Google Scholar
Wong, Ying Wai. 2006. Realization of Cantonese rising tones under different speaking rates. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Speech Prosody (SP2006). Dresden.Google Scholar
Xu, Ching X., and Yi, Xu. 2003. Effects of consonant aspiration on Mandarin tones. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 33(2):165–181.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi. 1994. Production and perception of coarticulated tones. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 95(4): 2240–2253.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi. 1997. Contextual tonal variations in Mandarin. Journal of Phonetics 25(1):61–83.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi. 1999. Effects of tone and focus on the formation and alignment of F0 contours. Journal of Phonetics 27(1):55–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, Yi. 2001. Fundamental frequency peak delay in Mandarin. Phonetica 58(1–2):26–52.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi. 2020. Syllable is a synchronization mechanism that makes human speech possible. PsyArXiv. doi:10.31234/osf.io/9v4hr.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi, and Liu, Fang. 2006. Tonal alignment, syllable structure and coarticulation: Toward an integrated model. Rivista di Linguistica 18(1):125–159.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi, and Prom-on, Santitham. 2019. Economy of effort or maximum rate of information? Exploring basic principles of articulatory dynamics. Frontiers in Psychology 10:2469.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi, and Sun, Xuejing. 2002. Maximum speed of pitch change and how it may relate to speech. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111(3):1399–1413.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi, and Wang, Emily. 2001. Pitch targets and their realization: Evidence from Mandarin Chinese. Speech Communication 33(4):319–37.Google Scholar
Xu, Yi, and Xu, Anqi. 2021. Consonant F0 perturbation in American English involves multiple mechanisms. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 149(4):2877–2895.Google Scholar
Yip, Moira. 1995. Tone in East Asian languages. In Handbook of phonological theory, ed. Goldsmith, John A., 476–494. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Yip, Moira. 2002. Tone. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Yip, Moira. 2004. Phonological markedness and allomorph selection in Zahao. Language and Linguistics 5(4):969–1001.Google Scholar
Zhang, Caicai, and Willaim Shi, Yuan Wang. 2022. Perceptual normalization of lexical tones: Behavioral and neural evidence. In The Cambridge handbook of Chinese linguistics, ed. Huang, Chu-Ren, Lin, Yen-Hwei, Chen, I-Hsuan, and Hsu, Yu-Yin, 383–404. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Zhang, Jie. 2001. The effects of duration and sonority on contour tone distribution: Typological survey and formal analysis. Los Angeles, CA: University of California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Zhang, Jie. 2004. Contour tone licensing and contour tone representation. Language and Linguistics 5:925–968.Google Scholar
Zhang, Jie. 2014. Tones, tonal phonology, and tone sandhi. In The handbook of Chinese linguistics, ed. Huang, Cheng-Teh James, Li, Yen-hui Audrey, and Simpson, Andrew, 443–464. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
Zhang, Jie. 2022. Tonal processes defined as tone sandhi. In The Cambridge handbook of Chinese linguistics, ed. Huang, Chu-Ren, Lin, Yen-Hwei, Chen, I-Hsuan, and Hsu, Yu-Yin, 291–312. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, Jie, and Liu, Jiang. 2011. Tone sandhi and tonal coarticulation in Tianjin Chinese. Phonetica 68:161–191.Google Scholar
Zhu, Xiaonong 朱晓农. 2009. Phonation as the phonetic cause of tonogenesis: With special reference to the emergence of Chinese tones 声调起因于发声—兼论汉语四声的发明. Bulletin of Language Studies, Fudan University 语言研究集刊 6:1–29.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×