Categorization and production in lexical pitch accent contrasts of North Kyungsang Korean

Abstract

Categorical production in language processing helps speakers to produce phonemic contrasts. This categorization and production is utilized for the production-based and imitation-based approach in the present study. Contrastive signals in speakers' speech reflect the shapes of boundaries with categorical characteristics. Signals that provide information about lexical pitch accent contrasts can introduce categorical distinctions for productive and cognitive selection. This experiment was conducted with nine North Kyungsang speakers for a production task and nine North Kyungsang speakers for an imitation task. The first finding of the present study is the rigidity of categorical production, which controls the boundaries of lexical pitch accent contrasts. The categorization of North Kyungsang speakers' production allows them to classify minimal pitch accent contrasts. The categorical production in imitation appeared in two clusters, representing two meaningful contrasts. The second finding of the present study is that there are individual differences in speakers' production and imitation responses. The distinctive performances of individual speakers showed a variety of curves. For the HL-LH patterns, the categorical production tended to be highly distinctive as compared to the other pitch accent patterns (HH-HL and HH-LH), showing that there are more continuous curves than categorical curves. Finally, the present study shows that, for North Kyungsang speakers, imitative production is the core type of categorical production for determining the existence of the lexical pitch accent system. However, several questions remain for defining that categorical production, which leads to ideas for future research.

The imitation patterns of adults and children on f0 intervals in North Kyungsang Korean

“…Her study showed that there were strict categorical boundaries between the HL and LH patterns. The present study conducted the different measurement with Kim (2018) but showed the similar result that both the adults' and children's imitations were more categorical than continuous between the HL and LH patterns. Hence, for the study of pitch range variation, the measurement needs to be studied with more sophisticated skills in future research.…”

“…Considering the language-specific properties, a falling and rising contour tends to be acquired from the beginning of prosodic development (Chen & Ken, 2009;Jusczyk et al, 1993;Levitt, 1993). Kim (2018) reported that in North Kyungsang Korean the characteristics of categorization were well expressed in the HL-LH pitch patterns using an imitation and production task. The results of this study support the work of Kim (2018).…”

“…Kim (2018) reported that in North Kyungsang Korean the characteristics of categorization were well expressed in the HL-LH pitch patterns using an imitation and production task. The results of this study support the work of Kim (2018). The log-produced f0 intervals for HL-LH seemed to show an appropriate function for imitating the f0 timing of the two pitch categories.…”

“…Previous studies on North Kyungsang Korean have traditionally demonstrated that high and low tones are associated with syllables, reflecting a phonologically approached theory (Chung, 1991;Jun et al, 2006;Kenstowicz & Sohn, 1997;Kim, 1976;Kim, 1988;Kim, 1997). Recently, Kim (2012Kim ( , 2015Kim ( , 2018 has researched the lexical pitch accent in North Kyungsang Korean using an imitation task with the data of children and adults. Kim (2012) investigated whether the adult and child speakers in the North Kyungsang and South Cholla regions show a categorical production by measuring the differences of f0 values at the midpoints of the first and second syllables.…”

“…South Cholla adult speakers exhibited the irregular patterns of f0 changes. Kim (2018) reported the interaction between categorization and production for lexical pitch accent contrasts using imitation and production performance. The HL-LH patterns among lexical pitch accent patterns showed strict categorical boundaries for both production and imitation performance.…”