Acoustic Measurements And Perceptual Studies On Initial Stops In Wu-Dialects

This thesis takes three initial stops——phonologically voiceless unaspirtated, voiceless aspirated and voiced stops, traditionally were named as "quanqing","ciqing"" quanzhuo" respectively in Shanghainese as object of our research, we measure and analyse these related parameters in a detail and deep way and compare similarities and differences between them by statistical methods. On the basis of acoustic measurements, we design some perceptual experiments to investigate the role these parameters play and finally we summarize distinctive features of initial stops acoustically and perceptually. This paper includes5chapters as follows:Chapter1reviews related reseach history, we believe that the problems and deficiencies rest in inadequate comparison of these three initial stops. We then clarify our aim, contents, methodology and significance of this reseach.Chapter2introduces research background and current situation in the respect of acoustics、perception and standards of classification.Chapter3is an acoustic research of initial stops of Shanghainese. In this chapter, we measure and analyse initial stops of in initial and medial position respectively in two-words phrase and find out the significant difference between those parameters by statistical method, study results indicate:a. In initial and medial position, parameter such as VOT is significantly different between "quanqing","quanzhuo" and "ciqing", as well as Onset FO between "quanqing","ciqing", and "quanzhuo’b. In initial position, FO is significantly different between "quanqing","ciqing" and "quanzhuo"c. In medial position, relative closure is significantly different between "quanqing","ciqing", and "quanzhuo’Chapter4is a perceptual research about initial stops in Shanghainese. On the basis of acoustic measurements in Chapter3, this chapter design3blocks of experiments to examine the role some important parameters play in perception, the results are as follows:a. In initial position, FO is the major cue for listeners to distinguish "quanqing" and "quanzhuo" initials;b. In medial position, closure and FO are both cues, but closure is more important.In Chapter5, we discuss some question according to results we get from acoustic measurement and perceptual experiment, out conclusions are as follows:a. There is no any relationship between "quanzhuo" initials in different postions acoustically, listeners treat them as same phoneme is because of the relationship in perception.b. Distinctive features of three initial stops are different according to different position. In initial position, VOT and FO can distinguish three initial stops; In medial position, VOT and closure can distinguish three initial stops. These distinguished features are supported by both acoustical and perceptual results.The innovations of this research are as follows:a. This paper presents methods and standards of measuring some related important parameters such as VOT, closure and vowel formants etc, we also modify methods and results of Wang, Shiyuan and Shen, Zhongwei’s experiment about initial stops in Wu dialect, we think relative closure, which is ratio between closure and duration of this syllable can express the character of initial stops accurately. The right data can guarantee the right result. These new methods and standards also prodive criterions for related research.b. In our paper, some statistical methods such as average and SD, ANOVA are used as major ways of comparing the similarities and differences between three initial stops, the study first discover in both initial and medial postion of two word syllalbes, OFO of quanzhuo is significant different from those of quanqing and ciqing. c. Perception experiments include experiment of three initial stops in first word and second word postion, this is the first paper which discuss perception experiment of initial stops, we first discover FO plays important role not only in initial but also in medial position, we first discover closure plays criticial role in second word postion。d. This paper also claims that acoustics and perception should be considered in phoneme classification.This paper fills in the blank in the research of initial stops in Wu dialects, providing new method and idea for the dialect studying.