slider01 slider02 slider03

Lee, Sun-Young, Kim, Jiyeong, Nam, Ki-Chun, Jeon, Hyeon-Ae and Kim, Youngjoo. 2018. Neurocognitive study on the ongoing merge of Korean vowels /e/(/ㅔ/) and /ɛ/(/ㅐ/): Comparing MMNs of younger and older generations. Studies in Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology 24.2. 209-224. 


This study investigated the perceptual differences of the Korean vowels, /e/(/ㅔ/) and /ɛ/(/ㅐ/) between younger and older generations, comparing their behavioral and neural responses in order to examine the ongoing phenomenon of a merge of the two phonemes in Korean. The results of the behavioral discrimination task from 20 younger and 20 older generation participants in their 20s and 50s, respectively showed high accuracy rates with no significant differences between the two groups (Older: 91%, Younger: 94%). The reaction times were also similar to each other (Older: 330 ms, Younger: 360 ms). In the same vein, the results of the ERP experiment revealed that both groups showed neural sensitivity to the phonological difference between /e/(/ㅔ/) and /ɛ/(/ㅐ/), eliciting the MMN (Mismatch Negativity) in all conditions at the frontal and central electrodes. Nevertheless, and more importantly, the MMN amplitude was significantly enhanced in the older generation in comparison with the younger generation in the case of the standard /e/ with deviant /ɛ/, but not in the reversed condition of standard /ɛ/ with deviant /e/. The findings indicate that the older generation is more sensitive than the younger in distinguishing /ɛ/ from /e/ and that the two vowels merge to /e/, not /ɛ/. The results of the different MMN amplitudes properly demonstrate the perceptual differences between the two groups conforming to the findings of the previous studies on the production of /e/ and /ɛ/ merging to /e/. The findings of this study provide neurophysiological evidence for the ongoing merge of the two vowels in Korean. (Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Professor, Seoul National University, Graduate Student, Korea University, Professor, DGIST, Assistant Professor and Kyung Hee University, Professor)


Keywords: ERP, MMN, Korean vowel system, /ɛ/ (ㅐ), /e/(ㅔ), merge, phoneme distinction 

번호 제목 글쓴이 날짜 조회 수
공지 [음성음운형태론연구] 온라인 논문 투고 안내 (2023년 1월 14일 수정) Manager 2016.09.02 30432
공지 [음성음운형태론연구] 논문 투고시 유의사항 (2023년 1월 14일 수정) Manager 2013.04.27 38969
647 음성음운형태론연구 1집, 오정란 file 관리자 2013.02.04 4749
646 음성.음운.형태론연구 15집 2호 Han, Jeong-Im file 관리자 2013.02.06 4749
645 음성.음운.형태론연구 11집 1호, Shinsook Lee file 관리자 2013.02.06 4738
644 음성.음운.형태론연구 10집 2호, Heeheon Park file 관리자 2013.02.06 4736
643 음성음운형태론연구 1집, 김진형 file 관리자 2013.02.04 4731
642 음성음운형태론연구 19집 1호 Jieun Song file 관리자 2013.04.27 4731
641 음성음운형태론연구 19집 1호 Dongmyung Lee file 관리자 2013.04.27 4726
640 음성.음운.형태론연구 13집 3호, Seung-Hoon Shin file 관리자 2013.02.06 4725
639 음성음운형태론연구 20집 1호 Ahn, Miyeon file Manager 2014.04.27 4719
638 음성음운형태론연구 1집, 김경란 file 관리자 2013.02.03 4716
637 음성음운형태론연구 18집 2호 목록 관리자 2013.02.06 4714
636 음성.음운.형태론연구 12집 3호, 김희성·송지연·김기호 file 관리자 2013.02.06 4708
635 음성.음운.형태론연구 9집 2호, Eun Jun file 관리자 2013.02.06 4703
634 음성.음운.형태론연구 1집, 이봉형 file 관리자 2013.02.04 4700
633 음성.음운.형태론연구 10집 1호, Jae-Young Lee file 관리자 2013.02.06 4700
632 음성.음운.형태론연구 14집 1호, Jeong-min Seo & Hak-haeng Jo file 관리자 2013.02.06 4698
631 음성.음운.형태론연구 10집 3호, Sang-Cheol Ahn file 관리자 2013.02.06 4696
630 음성.음운.형태론연구 12집 2호, Chin-Wan Chung file 관리자 2013.02.06 4696
629 음성.음운.형태론연구 14집 1호, Chang-beom Park file 관리자 2013.02.06 4694
628 음성.음운.형태론연구 18집 2호 Oh, Eunhae file 관리자 2013.02.06 4690