An Electro-palatographic Study of Palatalization in the Japanese Alveolar Nasal

It is widely hewn that the Japanese alveolar nasal [n] is affected by adjacent vowels in most positions, that is, the variants of the alveolar [n] occur conditionally. The Japanese [n] is palatalized under the influence of vowel [i] or palatal [j]. In the articulation of 'に', for instance, the tip and sides of the tongue make wide contact with the palate. It is interesting to know how palatalization occurs and varies during the production in different contexts. In my presentation the actual realization of the palatalized alveolar nasal in different contexts is examined and clarified by considering the Electro-palatographic data and examining the articulatory feeling and auditory impression. As a result, palatalized [${\eta}$] occurs either word-initially- or inter-vocalically. [${\eta}$] in [${\eta}$i] and 'いに'[$i{\eta}$] has great palatality. When conditioned by [j], the [${\eta}$] in 'にゃ'[${\eta}$ja], 'にょ'[${\eta}jo$] and 'にゅ'[${\eta}jw$] has full palatality. In each sound the average number of contacted electrodes of the Electro-palatograph at maximum tongue-palate contact is 63 or 100% of the total. To summarize the experimental data, articulatory feeling and auditory impression, it can be concluded that 'the [n] followed by or hemmed in [i], [j] is a palatalized nasal [${\eta}$].