Segmental conditioning of F0 timing in a pitch-accent language: Evidence from South Kyungsang Korean children
Lee, Hyunjung (Incheon National University) | pp.55-72
Abstract
This study examines the phonetic realization of lexical pitch accent in South Kyungsang Korean children, focusing on the temporal alignment of the F0 peak in disyllabic words across different accent types. Peak alignment was measured as the proportional distance between word onset and the F0 maximum. Linear mixed- effects analysis showed that accent type did not significantly affect peak timing. In contrast, the peak alignment was significantly influenced by the type of the initial segment, with earlier peaks in fricative-initial words and later peaks in nasal-initial words, while stop-initial words showed intermediate alignment. These findings might suggest that the realization of F0 timing in children is more strongly conditioned by segmental phonetic context than by lexical pitch accent categories. At the same time, further observation revealed substantial individual variation. Some children showed accent-related differences in their pitch contours, whereas others exhibited patterns primarily conditioned by segmental factors. Taken together, the results indicate that the phonetic realization of lexical pitch accent in South Kyungsang Korean children may be undergoing restructuring, with segmental conditioning playing an increasingly important role in the timing of F0 peaks.
Keywords
South Kyungsang Korean, lexical pitch accent, sound change, children speech, F0 peak alignment, individual variation