Title

New Vowels and the Lost Uvular Consonant in Tjuvecekadan Paiwan

Author

Shih-chi Stella Yeh

Genre

Article  

Pages

683-716

Download

PDF

Language

English

Key words

consonant loss, uvular consonant, vowel lowering, phonologization, prosodic position, Formosan languages

Abstract

This study examines the differing phonological effects of the uvular stop /q/ and the lost uvular fricative /ʁ/ (< *r) on adjacent vowels in Tjuvecekadan Paiwan, focusing on phonologization relative to prosodic position. The lowering of high vowels adjacent to /q/ is allophonic, whereas the lowering or retraction induced by the now-lost uvular *r is phonologized, resulting in derived vowels [e], [o], and [ɑ], which contrast with the original ones /i/, /u/, /ə/, and /a/. The degree of phonologization varies depending on prosodic position: vowels in weaker prosodic positions, such as word- finally or between identical vowels, show greater susceptibility to lowering, while those in stronger positions, such as word-initially, resist change. This study highlights the role of the lost uvular in vowel system reanalysis and asymmetries in phonological change, filling the gap in the understanding of synchronic Tjuvecekadan.