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http://dx.doi.org/10.13064/KSSS.2022.14.2.001

Perceptual discrimination of wh-scopes in Gyeongsang Korean  

Yun, Weonhee (Department of English Language and Literature, Keimyung University)
Publication Information
Phonetics and Speech Sciences / v.14, no.2, 2022 , pp. 1-10 More about this Journal
Abstract
A wh-phrase positioned in an embedded clause can be interpreted as having a matrix scope if the sentence is produced with proper prosodic structures such as the wh-intonation. In a previous experiment, a sentence with a wh-phrase in an embedded clause was given to 40 speakers of Gyeongsang Korean. A script containing the sentence was provided to induce a matrix scope interpretation for the wh-phrase. These 40 utterances were prepared as stimuli for a perception test to verify whether the wh-phrases in the stimuli were perceived as having matrix scopes. Each utterance was played thrice to 24 subjects. The results showed that more than half of the 72 responses indicated a preference for an embedded scope rather than a matrix scope in 20 of the utterances. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that the matrix scope responses were best predicted by the magnitude of the pitch prominence in a prosodic word consisting of an embedded verb and a complementizer. The pitch prominence was calculated by subtracting the fundamental frequency (F0) at the right edge of the prosodic word from the peak F0 in the same prosodic word. The smaller the magnitude, the more matrix responses there were. These results suggest that the categorical perception of wh-scopes is based on the magnitude of pitch prominence.
Keywords
wh-island constraint; wh-intonation; wh-scope; prominence index; perception test; categorical perception; Gyeongsang Korean;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
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