Title : Phonetic Sources of Sound Change: The Influence of Thai on Nasality in Pwo Karen

Author(s) : Karnthida Kerdpol, Volker Dellwo, Mathias Jenny

Pages : 45-66

Abstract in English : The phonetic realization of nasal vowels
produced by Pwo speakers of different
ages can vary. The present study
investigated mid and low nasal vowels of
Pwo speakers from Mae Hong Son
province, Thailand. Due to the higher
tendency of language contact with Thai,
the younger group’s nasal vowels were
expected to lose more nasality than the
older group. The emergence of final nasal
consonants was also expected in the
younger group. The nasalization duration
and consonant duration of both groups
were analyzed. The results showed that,
regardless of age, mid nasal vowels of
some speakers had final nasal consonants,
while low nasal vowels of all speakers did
not. Furthermore, the older group had
both longer nasalization duration and
consonant duration than the younger
group, suggesting their higher tendency to
preserve nasality. The younger group had
shorter nasalization duration and
consonant duration, indicating the loss of
nasality in vowels without compensatory
final nasal consonants. The change might
be due to the vowel quality. High vowels
were fully denasalized with no
compensatory final nasal consonants. Mid
vowels were nasalized with the emergence
of final nasal consonants. Low vowels
remained nasalized without final nasal
consonants. We could not confirm that the
emergence of final nasal consonants was
induced by Thai because it occurred in
both groups. The existence of final nasal
consonants in the younger group could not
be used as evidence of an effect of contact.