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This paper examines the ternary vowel length contrast in East Frisian Low German, with a focus on the distinction between long and overlong vowels. While traditional accounts have analyzed overlong vowels as trimoraic or as carrying a tonal distinction, we argue that their behavior is better understood in terms of metrical structure rather than purely segmental or moraic properties. Drawing on phonetic evidence and prosodic patterns, we show that overlong vowels interact with stress assignment and foot structure, suggesting that their distinctive status arises from higher-level prosodic organization. Unlike long vowels, which occur predictably in stressed syllables of disyllabic feet, overlong vowels appear in monosyllabic feet, affecting the rhythm and duration of the prosodic unit. This metrical perspective provides a more unified explanation for the distribution and realization of overlong vowels and aligns with broader cross-linguistic patterns in vowel length contrasts. By reconsidering overlength as a prosodic rather than a strictly segmental phenomenon, this study offers new insights into the structural underpinnings of vowel length distinctions.
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This content will become publicly available on June 9, 2026
Voice quality and tone as independent dimensions of contrast in Dinka
Languages with independently contrastive Voice Quality and Tone are rare, and the evidence base on them is limited. As a result, key hypotheses on how their phonetic realizations interact with one another and with the vowel system remain tentative. Against the background of this evidence base, it is worthwhile to conduct a production study in which Voice Quality, Tone, and Vowel Quality are orthogonally crossed. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive acoustic study on this configuration in Dinka (Nilo-Saharan, South Sudan). The study is based on 29 four-member minimal sets for Voice Quality (Modal vs. Breathy) and Tone (Low vs. High), across all seven of the Dinka vowels (/i, e, ɛ, a, ɔ, o, u/). These materials were elicited from eight speakers of the Bor South variety of Dinka. The results indicate that Voice Quality, Tone, and Vowel Quality each have their own primary correlate: phonation, F0, and formants, respectively. In addition, each distinction influences other phonetic parameters to a lesser extent. Importantly, the Voice Quality contrast is realized saliently on vowels in Low- and-High-toned syllables alike, and across the vocalic domain.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2313787
- PAR ID:
- 10650793
- Publisher / Repository:
- Glossa: a journal of general linguistics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Glossa: a journal of general linguistics
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2397-1835
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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