The Study of Fortition Process in Sistani Dialect Based on the Autosegmental Phonology

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Authors
M. delaramifar 1
A. A. Ahangar 2
1 Ph.D. in General Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchistan, Zahedan, Iran
2 Professor of Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchistan, Zahedan, Iran
10.29252/LRR.14.2.1
Abstract
This study deals with fortition processes in Sistani dialect as spoken in Sistan region located in the north of Sistan and Baluchestan province based on Autosegmental phonology by Goldsmith (1976). This is a descriptive-analytic study. So, 20 females and males more than 50 years old, low educated and Sistani dialect speakers have been selected by random. The data has been gathered by interviewing and recording their free speech for twenty minutes per person . The relevant data has been extracted from the recorded sentences and then transcribed by IPA alphabet. Eventually, the phonological rules of the data have been described and analyzed based on the concepts and principles of Autosegmental phonology. The research results showed that the fortition process in Sistani dialect, is represented as glottal [ʔ] insertion in initial position of word, front high glide [j] insertion and nasal consonant [n] insertion between two vowels at the end of the word in the coda position, the conversion of voiced obstruent /ʁ/ to voiceless obstruent [χ], the conversion of obstruent labio-dental /f/ and /v/ to labial [p] and [b], gemination between two morphemes and at the end of some words and also, aspiration process in the voiceless obstruent consonants in the onset position of the first syllable, the stressed syllables in the middle of words as well as the coda position of the last syllable.





1. Introduction

According to some phonologists, there are two kinds of phonological processes which act as two dual processes called lenition and fortition. This duality is based on the amount of sound power and energy consumed in the course of speech production. For example, vowel sounds are weak and voiceless sounds are strong. The distinction between weak and strong sounds originates from the amount of air pressure in the larynx during speech production (Trask, 1996, p. 149). In the generative phonology, the phonological process of fortition takes place when a strong sound is replaced by a weaker sound (Kenstowicz, 1994). In fact, the fortition of a sound originates from the natural need of the language to increase the production power of that sound and causes the phonological process to be strengthened (Krichner, 1998). Lass (1988, p. 48) believes that any process and conversion of sound from left to right is a fortition process:

zero → semivowel → fricative → stop

voice → voiceless (lass, 1988 :177)

Research Question(s)

1. What kind of fortion processes occur in Sistani dialect?
How is the phonological representation of fortition processes in Sistani dialect?



2. Literature Review

Heretofore, no research has been done in the Sistani dialect to investigate the fortition process. However, among the researches that have been done in the field of phonological processes in Persian language, we can name a few that have only investigated the phonological process of fortition. Mobaraki (2013) has investigated the fortition process in Persian language and Sabzevari, Euclid, Shahrezaei and Kermani dialects and showed the place of articulation of this process in Persian language and the mentioned dialects. Kord Zafaranlu Kambouzia and Aryaei (2015) have studied the fortition process in Shul dialect of Bushehr city. In this research, the authors have introduced two compensatory lengthening processes including conversion and insertion. As seen, due to the lack of sufficient studies on the fortition processes in Sistani Dialect, especially based on the non-linear and autosegmental phonology, the authors have described and analyzed the phonological processes of fortition in this dialect based on non-linear and autosegmental phonology.



3. Methodology

The study is a descriptive-analytic study. So, 20 Sistani females and males more than 50 years old and low educated have been selected by random. The data has been gathered by interviewing and recording their free speech for twenty minutes per person. The relevant data has been extracted from the recorded sentences and then transcribed by IPA alphabet. Eventually, the phonological rules of the data have been described and analyzed based on the concepts and principles of Autosegmental phonology.



4. Results

The study of data showed that the fortition process in the Sistani dialect appears in the form of various phonological rules. In response to the research questions, it was found that the fortition process in the Sistani dialect appears in the form of inserting [ʔ] at the beginning of the word, inserting [j] and [n] between two vowels, inserting /n/ at the end of the final syllable, and also assimilation, gemination and aspiration processes.

Also, the results showed that the speakers of the new generation, after removing the continuous glottal phoneme /h/ from the beginning of the loanwords, insert glottal [ʔ] before the initial vowel. Like: /halɑl/ which is used as [ʔalɑl]. On the other hand, [ʔ] is inserted at the beginning of words that do not have an initial consonant and begin with a vowel, eg., /ɑb/ 'water' pronounced as [ʔou]. Also, the process of fortition occurs in the Sistani dialect in the form of insertion of [j] and [n], for instance, [toʃni+j+a] "he/she is thirsty" and [ke+n+a] "who is ?".

Another process is devoicing. In this process, the phoneme /ʁ/ is represented [χ] and also the phonemes /f, v/ are pronounced as [b, d] respectively, eg., /vaʁt/ "time" is pronounced as [vaχt]. Germination process also takes place between two morphemes in Sistani dialect and causes fortition in this dialect, for example, /du+tɑ/ "two items" is pronounced as [duttɑ]. On the other hand, this process occurs at the end of the last syllable of the some simple words as well, as seen in [bell] "let, put".



1. Introduction

According to some phonologists, there are two kinds of phonological processes which act as two dual processes called lenition and fortition. This duality is based on the amount of sound power and energy consumed in the course of speech production. For example, vowel sounds are weak and voiceless sounds are strong. The distinction between weak and strong sounds originates from the amount of air pressure in the larynx during speech production (Trask, 1996, p. 149). In the generative phonology, the phonological process of fortition takes place when a strong sound is replaced by a weaker sound (Kenstowicz, 1994). In fact, the fortition of a sound originates from the natural need of the language to increase the production power of that sound and causes the phonological process to be strengthened (Krichner, 1998). Lass (1988, p. 48) believes that any process and conversion of sound from left to right is a fortition process:

zero → semivowel → fricative → stop

voice → voiceless (lass, 1988 :177)

Research Question(s)


1. What kind of fortion processes occur in Sistani dialect?
How is the phonological representation of fortition processes in Sistani dialect?



2. Literature Review

Heretofore, no research has been done in the Sistani dialect to investigate the fortition process. However, among the researches that have been done in the field of phonological processes in Persian language, we can name a few that have only investigated the phonological process of fortition. Mobaraki (2013) has investigated the fortition process in Persian language and Sabzevari, Euclid, Shahrezaei and Kermani dialects and showed the place of articulation of this process in Persian language and the mentioned dialects. Kord Zafaranlu Kambouzia and Aryaei (2015) have studied the fortition process in Shul dialect of Bushehr city. In this research, the authors have introduced two compensatory lengthening processes including conversion and insertion. As seen, due to the lack of sufficient studies on the fortition processes in Sistani Dialect, especially based on the non-linear and autosegmental phonology, the authors have described and analyzed the phonological processes of fortition in this dialect based on non-linear and autosegmental phonology.



3. Methodology

The study is a descriptive-analytic study. So, 20 Sistani females and males more than 50 years old and low educated have been selected by random. The data has been gathered by interviewing and recording their free speech for twenty minutes per person. The relevant data has been extracted from the recorded sentences and then transcribed by IPA alphabet. Eventually, the phonological rules of the data have been described and analyzed based on the concepts and principles of Autosegmental phonology.



4. Results

The study of data showed that the fortition process in the Sistani dialect appears in the form of various phonological rules. In response to the research questions, it was found that the fortition process in the Sistani dialect appears in the form of inserting [ʔ] at the beginning of the word, inserting [j] and [n] between two vowels, inserting /n/ at the end of the final syllable, and also assimilation, gemination and aspiration processes.

Also, the results showed that the speakers of the new generation, after removing the continuous glottal phoneme /h/ from the beginning of the loanwords, insert glottal [ʔ] before the initial vowel. Like: /halɑl/ which is used as [ʔalɑl]. On the other hand, [ʔ] is inserted at the beginning of words that do not have an initial consonant and begin with a vowel, eg., /ɑb/ 'water' pronounced as [ʔou]. Also, the process of fortition occurs in the Sistani dialect in the form of insertion of [j] and [n], for instance, [toʃni+j+a] "he/she is thirsty" and [ke+n+a] "who is ?".

Another process is devoicing. In this process, the phoneme /ʁ/ is represented [χ] and also the phonemes /f, v/ are pronounced as [b, d] respectively, eg., /vaʁt/ "time" is pronounced as [vaχt]. Germination process also takes place between two morphemes in Sistani dialect and causes fortition in this dialect, for example, /du+tɑ/ "two items" is pronounced as [duttɑ]. On the other hand, this process occurs at the end of the last syllable of the some simple words as well, as seen in [bell] "let, put".

Keywords

Subjects

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Language Related Research
Volume 14, Issue 2 - Serial Number 74
May and June 2023
Pages 1-45