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Vowel Production in Winnipeg

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Robert Hagiwara
Robert Hagiwara*
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
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Abstract

General properties of the Canadian English vowel space are derived from an experimental-acoustic study of vowel production underway in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Comparing the preliminary Winnipeg results with similar data from General American English confirms previously described generalizations for Canadian English: the merger of low-back vowels, the relative retraction of /æ/, and the relative advancement of /u/ and /Ʊ/. However, a similar comparison of the Winnipeg sample with comparable Southern California data disputes the accuracy of the claim that Canadian Shift (Clarke et al. 1995) is a feature of ‘general’ Canadian and Californian English. An acoustic analysis uncovers subtle phonetic distinctions that make possible a more precise characterization of Canadian Raising: rather than only adjusting the height of the nucleus, Winnipeg speakers produce a directional shift in both the nucleus and offglide of the diphthongs /aɪ, aƱ/; this process applies to all three diphthongs (including /oɪ/).

Résumé

Résumé

Des caractéristiques générales de l’espace vocalique de l’anglais canadien sont dérivées d’une étude acoustique de la production des voyelles ayant cours à Winnipeg, Manitoba. La comparaison des résultats préliminaires de cette étude avec les données de l’anglais américain standard confirme des généralisations précédemment observées pour l’anglais canadien: la fusion des voyelles postérieures-ouvertes, la postériorisation relative du /æ/ et l’antériorisation relative du /u/ et du /Ʊ/. Toutefois, la comparaison de l’échantillon de Winnipeg avec un échantillon comparable provenant du sud de la Californie remet en question la proposition selon laquelle le Canadian Shift (Clarke et al. 1995) serait un trait commun et représentatif de l’anglais canadien et californien. Une analyse acoustique dévoile des distinctions phonétiques subtiles qui rendent possible une caractérisation plus précise du Canadian Raising : au lieu de modifier uniquement l’aperture du noyau, les locuteurs de Winnipeg produisent un déplacement directionnel dans le noyau ainsi que dans la semi-voyelle finale des diphtongues /aɪ, aƱ/; ce processus s’applique au trois diphtongues (/OI/ inclus).

Type
Sounds Canadian
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 51 , Issue 2-3: Canadian English in a Global Context , November 2006 , pp. 127 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 2006

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