Reconciling spatial and dynamic aspects of vowel variation and change

The variable diphthongisation of vowels in English is a widely attested form of synchronic variation. Examples include the monothongisation of GOAT and PRICE in some Northern English dialects, as well as diphthongisation of tense monophthongs, such as FLEECE and GOOSE.

The same type of variation also underpins many diachronic sound changes. A notable example is the Great Vowel shift, which included the development of high vowels into diphthongs. In this talk, I discuss possible mechanics of such changes, focusing on the role of phonological representation in mediating them. A model based on the principles of Articulatory Phonology is presented to explain the variation in English vowels. A key assumption of the model is that both tense monophthongs and diphthongs are composed of two discrete targets: a nucleus and an offglide. A monophthong has two targets with identical parameters. Computational modelling shows that monophtongs can become diphthongs through variation in the nucleus. Variable degrees of diphthongisation emerge from gradient variation in gestural parameters. By establishing structural similarity between tense monophthongs and diphthongs, this model allows us to account for historical changes, such as diphthongisation and monophthongisation, as instances of wider type of changes in vowel quality.

Speaker: Patrycja Strycharczuk, University of Manchester