As a multi-ethnic country with a large population, China is endowed with diverse dialects, which brings considerable challenges to speech recognition work. In fact, due to geographical location, ...population migration, and other factors, the research progress and practical application of Chinese dialect speech recognition are currently at different stages. Therefore, exploring the significant regional heterogeneities in specific recognition approaches and effects, dialect corpus, and other resources is of vital importance for Chinese speech recognition work. Based on this, we first start with the regional classification of dialects and analyze the pivotal acoustic characteristics of dialects, including specific vowels and tones patterns. Secondly, we comprehensively summarize the existing dialect phonetic corpus in China, which is of some assistance in exploring the general construction methods of dialect phonetic corpus. Moreover, we expound on the general process of dialect recognition. Several critical dialect recognition approaches are summarized and introduced in detail, especially the hybrid method of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) combined with the Hidden Markov Model(HMM), as well as the End-to-End (E2E). Thirdly, through the in-depth comparison of their principles, merits, disadvantages, and recognition performance for different dialects, the development trends and challenges in dialect recognition in the future are pointed out. Finally, some application examples of dialect speech recognition are collected and discussed.
This thesis mainly investigates ditransitive constructions with lexical as well as pronominal objects in two historically unrelated languages: Iraqi Arabic, a poorly documented language, and English ...(including British English dialects). The aim is to obtain insight into possible crosslinguistic similarities and differences in the ditransitive constructions, which is a controversial issue in generative theory, and thus, contribute to the theory of argument structure, Case, and agreement, particularly in relation to pronouns. It shows that Iraqi Arabic provides a rich environment for the study of ditransitives as it exhibits a wide variety of ditransitive patterns. The thesis will first present the descriptive facts of ditransitives of Iraqi Arabic which covers word order options, Case-marking, and passives. Then, it will review the various current approaches on ditransitives within a generative theory of grammar. A special focus will be given to the debate about the nature of the relationship between DOCs and PDCs, in particular whether it is derivational or projectional. Later, the thesis will introduce the reader to the theory of pronouns where a distinction will be made between the terms strong, weak pronouns, affixes and clitics as well as discussing their syntactic properties. It will address the question regarding the derivation of pronominal clitics, whether they are X°s or XPs, i.e. whether they are a wordlevel or phrase-level category. In addition, Shlonsky' (1997) and Roberts' (2010) theories of clitics will be presented. A close investigation and comparison of pronominal objects in Arabic, particularly Iraqi Arabic, and English is expected to shed more light on the syntax of pronominal objects in general, including the distinction between strong, weak and clitic pronouns, and pronominal objects of ditransitive verbs in particular. Following Holmberg et al (2018), it will be argued that the ditransitive predicate in the DOC contains, in addition to v and V, an applicative head, Appl which assigns a role to the Recipient, while V assigns a role to the Theme. There is cross-linguistic variation regarding how the two objects are 'Case-licensed'. I will argue that, in Iraqi Arabic and Standard English, v assigns Case to the Recipient while Appl assigns Case to the Theme. In some British English dialects, on the other side, v may assign Case either to the Recipient or Theme. This is due to flexible licensing by Appl in these dialects as Appl may license either the Recipient or the Theme. In the PDC, on the other hand, v will assign Case to the Theme while the Goal gets Case from a preposition. In addition to the Appl attested in the DOC which I will term Appl 1, I will argue that Iraqi Arabic exhibits another Applicative head which I will term Appl 2. The latter introduces a iv Benefactive argument in clauses containing such arguments. What is special about Iraqi Arabic is that these Appl heads can be realized as the special form, -iya in the language when the following object is a pronoun. In analyzing pronominal objects, I will argue that pronominal objects in Iraqi Arabic are syntactic clitics. I will adopt a version of the theory proposed by Shlonsky (1997) where the pronominal clitics of Arabic are derived by Agree between v and a pronominal object, with incorporation in the sense of Roberts (2010). According to Roberts (2010), the pronominal clitic is a spell-out of agreement between v and a defective object. I will claim that English pronominal contracted objects are syntactic clitics, too, derived in a similar way. It will be argued that the two languages under investigation are more similar than what traditionally is thought to be the case especially as regards exhibiting syntactic clitics. The similarity between the two languages can be seen especially in the DOC construction in that both languages allow the DOC with a defective Recipient and full DP-Theme. Furthermore, both disallow the DOC with a full DP-Recipient and a defective Theme. Moreover, both languages allow the DOC with a defective Recipient and a defective Theme. In addition, both languages exhibit the DOC with two full-DP objects as well as the PDC with lexical or pronominal objects. Still, there are differences in that while some British English dialects allow the pattern, she gave it'im/John where the Theme is defective, and the Recipient is defective or a full-DP object, Iraqi Arabic disallow this construction. The flexibility of Appl 1 to agree with either the Recipient or the Theme attested in some British English dialects is not found in Iraqi Arabic as the latter allows Appl1 to agree only with the Theme in the DOC. The implication here will be that while the unvalued features of v can be valued only by the Recipient in Iraqi Arabic, it can be valued either by the Recipient or Theme in some British English dialects. Another difference to be pointed out between the two languages is that while Iraqi Arabic exhibits Appl1 and Appl 2, British English dialects exhibits only Appl1. Earlier work on a range of grammatical structures has shown the benefits of detailed crosslinguistic comparison. This dissertation adds to this body of work and further confirms its value through the results achieved from a comparison of ditransitives in English and Iraqi Arabic.
Övdalian is spoken in central Sweden by about 2000 speakers. Traditionally categorized as a dialect of Swedish, it has not received much international attention. However, Övdalian is typologically ...closer to Faroese or Icelandic than it is to Swedish, and since it has been spoken in relative isolation for about 1000 years, a number of interesting linguistic archaisms have been preserved and innovations have developed. This volume provides seven papers about Övdalian morphology and syntax. The papers, all based on extensive fieldwork, cover topics such as verb movement, subject doubling, wh-words and case in Övdalian. Constituting the first comprehensive linguistic description of Övdalian in English, this volume is of interest for linguists in the fields of Scandinavian and Germanic linguistics, and also historical linguists will be thrilled by some of the presented data. The data and the analyses presented here furthermore challenge our view of the morphosyntax of the Scandinavian languages in some cases – as could be expected when a new language enters the linguistic arena.
Purpose: In African American English and Southern White English, we examined whether children with specific language impairment (SLI) overtly mark tense and agreement structures at lower percentages ...than typically developing (TD) controls, while also examining the effects of dialect, structure, and scoring approach. Method: One hundred six kindergartners completed 4 dialect-informed probes targeting 8 tense and agreement structures. The 3 scoring approaches varied in the treatment of nonmainstream English forms and responses coded as Other (i.e., those not obligating the target structure). The unmodified approach counted as correct only mainstream overt forms out of all responses, the modified approach counted as correct all mainstream and nonmainstream overt forms and zero forms out of all responses, and the strategic approach counted as correct all mainstream and nonmainstream overt forms out of all responses except those coded as Other. Results: With the probes combined and separated, the unmodified and strategic scoring approaches showed lower percentages of overt marking by the SLI groups than by the TD groups; this was not always the case for the modified scoring approach. With strategic scoring and dialect-specific cut scores, classification accuracy (SLI vs. TD) was highest for the 8 individual structures considered together, the past tense probe, and the past tense probe irregular items. Dialect and structure effects and dialect differences in classification accuracy also existed. Conclusions: African American English- and Southern White English-speaking kindergartners with SLI overtly mark tense and agreement at lower percentages than same dialect-speaking TD controls. Strategic scoring of dialect-informed probes targeting tense and agreement should be pursued in research and clinical practice.
Interacting comparatively Al-Sheroqi, Thajbah; Al-Thani, Fatima; Alzini, Mariam ...
Metaphor and the social world,
11/2023, Volume:
13, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Metaphors and proverbs are an indispensable sociocultural aspect of language. In this paper, we look at the sociocultural linguistic heterogeneity codified through metaphors and proverbs ...among three Arabic dialects, namely the Qatari, the Palestinian, and the Tunisian ones. The corpora of metaphors and proverbs have been elicited through interviews with relatives and friends, who live in Qatar, Palestine, and Tunisia respectively. The data are analyzed in the context of cognitive metaphor theory with a focus on comparative and interactionist perspectives. With a focus on two emerging themes, namely physical appearance, and sexual orientation, we argue that the Qatari dialect seems to be more inventive in the sexual orientation theme, while the Palestinian dialect foregrounds appearance due to the importance of marriage in Palestinian society, and the Tunisian dialect shows no emphasis on a specific theme. The differences we have found in metaphors and proverbs offer a glimpse of the various social orders, symbolic meanings, and lifestyles found in the three respective cultures, which are a vital aspect of cultural literacy in the Arab world. In this sense, the study is a suggestion on how to analyze qualitatively sociocultural linguistic heterogeneity at the level of figurative language and its symbolic meanings.
Pún and tio̍h in Penang Hokkien Hing, Jia Wen
Journal of Pidgin and Creole languages,
05/2023, Volume:
38, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Penang Hokkien was spoken by the early Hokkien settlers as a
heritage language in a Malay dominant environment before it became a lingua
franca of the Chinese communities in present-day ...Penang and its neighboring
states in Northern Malaysia. Over two centuries, Penang Hokkien has assimilated
Malay words and structures. This article discusses the forms and functions of
pún
and
tio̍h
, which have assimilated
Malay elements as response strategies to two key triggers for deviation from the
baseline Southern Min dialect: ambiguity and complex structure. Through a
detailed study of
pún
and
tio̍h
, this article
contributes to a better understanding of the development of a Malay-dominant
heritage language that is based on a Chinese dialect spoken in the Malay
peninsula.
V prispevku je predstavljen govor dela kraja Ravna Gora (tj. večji zahodni del ‒ zaselki Stari Varoš, Jarak, Bajt in Vrh), ki leži na jugu Gorskega kotarja na Hrvaškem. Govor se je do sedaj ...interpretiral različno, in sicer kot 1) (priseljenski) govor rovtarske narečne skupine slovenskega jezika, 2) (goranski) govor kajkavske narečne skupine hrvaškega jezika, 3) govor kostelskega narečja dolenjske narečne skupine slovenskega jezika. Podano je na novo zbrano narečno gradivo zahodnega dela Ravne Gore, na osnovi česar so povzemalno predstavljene njegove glavne jezikovne (vokalne, konzonantne in prozodijske) značilnosti. Zaradi zgodnje podaljšave nekdaj skrajšanih akutiranih zložnikov v nezadnjem besednem zlogu je odraz za */*- enak, in sicer ẹː. Odrazi ejevskih in ojevskih glasov so sovpadli: issln. *ē/*è- = */*- > ẹː in issln. *ō = *ò- = *ǭ/*- > ọː oz. redkeje ȯː. Odraza za issln. *ī /*ì- in *ū/*ù- sta i in u oz. iː in uː po sekundarni podaljšavi. Odraz stalno dolgega polglasnika in novoakutiranega polglasnika v nezadnjem besednem zlogu je sovpadel z odrazom za issln. *a, tj. issln. */*- = *ā/*à- > åː. Odraz za issln. */*- je ọː. Odraza umično naglašenih e in o sta e oz. eː in a oz. aː. Za diftonški odklon pri odrazu za issln. */*-, ki je izpričan v redkih primerih, se v prispevku dopušča interpretacijo, da gre za arhaizem. Govor pozna več oblik moderne vokalne redukcije ‒ popolno prednaglasno akanje, različen razvoj izglasnih *-ǫ (> -a) in *-o (> -ȯ/-u). Govor je izvršil umik na prednaglasno kračino in nadkračino ter (delno) terciarni premik starega cirkumfleksa. Na osnovi glavnih vokalnih, konzonantnih razvojev in izvedenih mlajših naglasnih umikov ter ob pritegnitvi dodatnih definicijskih kriterijev (krajšanje visokih vokalov i in u, odraz za issln. */*-, odraz za issln. */*- in premet pred ustničniki in nebniki, prednaglasno akanje, razvoj izglasnega *-o, odraza za issln. *ĺ in *ń ter razvoj izglasnega issln. *-g) se govor zahodnega dela Ravne Gore sinhrono umešča v rovtarsko narečno skupino slovenskega jezika. Govor je prikazan na Karti slovenskih narečij (različica 2023).
Creole Studies – Phylogenetic Approaches Bakker, Peter; Borchsenius, Finn; Levisen, Carsten ...
John Benjamins Publishing Company eBooks,
2017, 2017-05-31
eBook
Open access
This book launches a new approach to creole studies founded on phylogenetic network analysis. Phylogenetic approaches offer new visualisation techniques and insights into the relationships between ...creoles and non-creoles, creoles and other contact varieties, and between creoles and lexifier languages. With evidence from creole languages in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific, the book provides new perspectives on creole typology, cross-creole comparisons, and creole semantics. The book offers an introduction for newcomers to the fields of creole studies and phylogenetic analysis. Using these methods to analyse a variety of linguistic features, both structural and semantic, the book then turns to explore old and new questions and problems in creole studies. Original case studies explore the differences and similarities between creoles, and propose solutions to the problems of how to classify creoles and how they formed and developed. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the unity and heterogeneity of creoles and the areal influences on their development. It also provides metalinguistic discussions of the “creole” concept from different perspectives. Finally, the book reflects critically on the findings and methods, and sets new agendas for future studies. Creole Studies has been written for a broad readership of scholars and students in the fields of contact linguistics, biolinguistics, sociolinguistics, language typology, and semantics.
To what extent can we speak of second dialect acquisition in English L2, and the mechanisms of accommodation in L2 contexts? In contact between different dialects, accommodation is deemed social or ...mechanical—thus consequent on speaker attitude or frequency of interaction with the new dialect. Drawing on sociophonetics, this study investigates the workings of accommodation between L2 English dialects, using data from mobile Igbo English speakers and lifelong Yoruba counterparts in Southwest Nigeria. The Igbo speakers come from Eyinmba Central Igbo (ECI) region whose L1 lacks the open-mid vowel ɛ, resulting in the fusion of dress/ɛ/ with face/e/ in their English. An emergence of contrast between the phonemes might be indicative of new dialect aquisition. Overall, a process of convergence as an outcome of accommodation to Yoruba English was established. Younger speakers converged more, while variation within the older speaker-group signalled ethnic bias and social network. The findings suggest that the influence of speaker attitude, age-group and interactional frequency can be composite, and synchronously correlative with the degrees of convergence.
•An overall trend of accommodation to Yoruba English by mobile Igbo speakers was established.•Younger speakers converged more, while variation in the older speaker-group signalled ethnic bias and social network.•The influence of speaker attitude, age-group and interactional frequency are composite, and are synchronously correlative with the degrees of convergence to the new dialect.
Dialectal variations are present in all languages, originating from cultural, geographic and socioeconomic diversity. This study investigates speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) linguistic bias ...towards non-standard language forms and dialects, and factors that may impact on these attitudes. Language attitude studies reveal that negative attitudes towards variation can lead to bias against speakers of non-standard dialects. If SLPs hold linguistic bias towards speakers of non-standard dialects, this has the potential to impact upon their clinical judgement of difference vs. disorder and lead to inequality of service provision. A total of 129 Australian SLPs completed an online survey, which involved ranking 28 attitudinal statements regarding language variation on a 5-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The survey data were analysed using a factor analysis in SPSS to identify latent factors that identified attitudes towards non-standard dialects followed by inferential analyses to investigate how attitudes were related to the demographic data of participants. Results identified five key factors from the survey, these were (1) Use of non-standard English, (2) Language impurity, (3) Diversity in form, (4) Social acceptability, and (5) Prescriptive language rules. SLPs held generally positive attitudes towards the use of non-standard forms and the socially determined acceptability of language. SLPs were more neutral in their attitudes towards diversity in form and the need for prescriptive rules and generally held negative views towards language purity (e.g., the use of "youse" as a plural form of you). A significantly positive association was found between professional development (PD) on cultural and linguistic diversity and positive attitudes towards Factors 1 and 3. Years of practice were significantly related to Factor 2, with less experienced SLPs holding more negative views relating to language purity. While many SLPs identify the value of language variation and its reflection of a person's cultural and linguistic diversity, negative attitudes towards non-standard forms and variation in school and occupational settings have the potential to negatively impact differential diagnosis, goal setting and the delivery of culturally responsive speech-language pathology services to speakers of non-standard dialects.
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