Doctoral Dissertation Research: Combining quantitative analysis and corpus-based methodologies in the documentation of an endangered language

博士论文研究：将定量分析和基于语料库的方法相结合，记录濒危语言

• 批准号: 2024000
• 负责人: Patience Epps
• 金额: $ 1.88万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-12-01 至 2024-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2024000&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Combining; quantitative

Most phonological linguistic theory, and the cross-linguistic studies which inform it, is based on studies of a few, well-studied languages. Much less is known about the sound systems (phonology) of languages with fewer speakers. Furthermore, descriptions of understudied languages, particularly of sound systems, are easily biased by linguists' native languages. Non-native listener biases often lead to contradictory descriptions which are therefore unsuitable for cross-linguistic comparisons. This project examines the phonological system of an understudied and endangered language. Previous description of its phonological system is sparse, but existing documentation indicates that this language includes some features which are of special theoretical or typological interest. For example, the language uses uvular sounds, glottalized sonorants, and a voiceless lateral fricative. Each of these sounds (or sets of sounds) is cross-linguistically uncommon. Their appearance in this particular language is also unexpected; in comparison to other languages' sound systems, the set of sounds and features which co-occur in this system is unusual. In addition, the study is of regional interest; it will expand linguists' understanding of contact-driven language change and shed light on long-term histories of contact among groups in the region. This study combines traditional methodologies—including recording an audio-video corpus of speech, written transcription, and controlled elicitation—with quantitative experimental methodologies. The experimental component of the project targets questions of theoretical and typological interest. For example, what acoustic cues to speakers use to produce and perceive stress? Are long vowels separate segments from shorter vowels? Should 'creaky voice' be analyzed as a feature of individual segments, words, or phrases? Results from controlled experiments will be integrated with traditional, corpus-driven conclusions to develop a comprehensive phonological description of a previously undescribed system. Precise, quantitative analysis, integrated with a holistic description and publicly-available corpus of language data, will allow these results to contribute to broader questions related to sound patterns, language typology, language contact, and diachronic change.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

大多数音系语言学理论以及为其提供信息的跨语言学研究都是基于对少数经过深入研究的语言的研究，而人们对较少使用的语言的声音系统（音系学）知之甚少。此外，描述。未被研究的语言，特别是声音系统，很容易受到语言学家的母语偏见的影响，常常导致相互矛盾的描述，因此不适合跨语言比较。一种尚未被研究和濒临灭绝的语言的音系系统以前对其音系系统的描述很少，但现有文献表明该语言包含一些具有特殊理论或类型学意义的特征，例如，该语言使用小舌音、声门化发音和发音。清侧擦音中的每一个（或一组声音）在跨语言上都是罕见的；与其他语言的声音系统相比，它们的出现也是出乎意料的。此外，这项研究具有区域意义；它将扩大语言学家对接触驱动的语言变化的理解，并揭示不同群体之间接触的长期历史。这项研究将传统方法（包括记录语音视频语料库、书面转录和受控启发）与定量实验方法结合起来，该项目的实验部分针对理论和类型学兴趣的问题，例如，什么是声音线索。说话者用来产生和感知长元音是否与短元音分开？是否应该将“吱吱作响的声音”作为单个片段、单词或短语的特征进行分析？将与传统的、语料库驱动的结论相结合，以形成全面的语音描述。精确的定量分析，与整体描述和公开可用的语言数据语料库相结合，将使这些结果有助于解决与声音模式、语言类型学、语言接触和历时变化相关的更广泛的问题。授予 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估反映使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，被认为值得支持。