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A Sociolinguistic Study of Pitch Leveling in Japanese: A Preliminary Analysis

A Sociolinguistic Study of Pitch Leveling in Japanese: A Preliminary Analysis. Shoji Takano Hokusei Gakuen University Ichiro Ota Kagoshima University UK Language Variation and Change 5 University of Aberdeen September 12, 2005. Background.

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A Sociolinguistic Study of Pitch Leveling in Japanese: A Preliminary Analysis

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  1. A Sociolinguistic Study of Pitch Leveling in Japanese:A Preliminary Analysis Shoji Takano Hokusei Gakuen University Ichiro Ota Kagoshima University UK Language Variation and Change 5 University of Aberdeen September 12, 2005

  2. Background • Takeshi Shibata’s (1995) Informal Observation on Recently Emerging Changes in Japanese: “General preference for non-prominence among the younger generation” because they want to convey “images of novelty, freshness and urbanity” in speech (p.181-2). For example, (1) Leveling of lexical accents e.g., ka’reshi ‘boyfriend’  kareshi(“ x’ “ indicates a pitch accent.) (2) Leveling of sentence intonation or “pitch in general” (p. 185) “It may be fair to assume that sentence-level pitch leveling (2) precedes lexical accent leveling (1)” (p. 185). “However, it should be noted that the change in question is considered specific to Tokyo Japanese. We do not know whether the change has become widespread in local dialects as well” (p. 186). No follow-up studies have been conducted thus far; no empirical evidence that verifies Shibata’s observation is available today.

  3. The Present Study • Research Question (1) We empirically examine Shibata’s hypothesis on sentence- level pitch leveling prevalent among the younger generation. (2) We explore the possibility that the change in question is a nation-wide phenomenon. • Data 3 read sentences that consist only of accented (kifuku-shiki) words: (/ xx / indicates an accentual phrase.) (1) /Ba’su wa/ /na’i kara/ /aru’ite/ /iko’o./ (Let’s walk since there is no bus service.) (2) /Do’ryoku/ /shite’mo/ /i’mi ga/ /na’i./ (It’s meaningless even if you make an effort.) (3) /yo’meba/ /yo’muhodo/ /yu’kai na/ /hanashi’ da./ (The deeper you read, the more amusing you find the story.)

  4. Hidaka Kagoshima • Hokkaido Subjects: 20 Hokkaido dialect speakers in 2 age groups:all are natives in coastal areas of Hidaka (including the towns of Shizunai and Mitsuishi) • Kagoshima Subjects: 10 native informants in the southern Kyushu region: all are females

  5. Analytical Procedures ◎ How can we identify the leveling of pitch?  In an utterance involving the leveling of pitch … (1) Fundamental frequency (F0) of every accented phrase (AP) is weakened; i.e., every pitch peak is relatively lower than otherwise. (2) The movement of pitch involves a steady declination due to the above-mentioned pitch accent weakening. ◎ How can we measure the leveling of pitch? (see Figure 1) Step 1: Measuring the pitch range (PR) of each utterance as the benchmark　① Maximum F0－Minimum F0 = PR Step 2: Measuring the height of F0 peak for every AP ② Step 3: Measuring the relative decrease of F0 peak (divided by PR) F0 peak of 1st AP③－F0 peak of 2nd AP, 3rd AP, 4th AP, etc. = F0 declination Step 4: Measuring the relative magnitude of pitch rise (divided by PR) AP-final F0④－　F0 peak of the following AP = F0 increase

  6. ① Figure 1: /Doryo’ku//shite’mo//i’mi ga//na’i/ by a 65-year-old Shizunai woman The utterance involving pitch leveling should show … (1) The value of F0 declination is high: Pitch declination curve is relatively steep and steady (without prominent pitch rise) toward the end of an utterance. (2) The value of F0 increase is low: F0 rise of every AP is small-scale in its magnitude. ② ③ ④

  7. Results In 2 (S-2, S-3) out of 3 sentences, differences in both F0 declination and F0 increase are found statistically significant between the age groups. Sentence 2: /do’ryoku//shite’mo//i’mi ga//na’i/ F0 declination (%; divided by PR) /do’ryoku/  /i’mi ga/ Younger Group -33.4 Older Group -21.2p < .05 F0 increase (%; divided by PR) /shite’mo/  /i’mi ga/ Younger Group 36 Older Group 70.5p < .01

  8. Sentence 3: /yo’meba//yo’muhodo//yu’kai na//hanashi’ da/ F0 declination (%; divided by PR) /yo’meba/  /yo’muhodo/ /yo’meba/  /yu’kai na/ Younger Group -37.4-36.7 Older Group -10.3 -11 p < .05 p < .01 F0 increase (%; divided by PR) /yo’meba/  /yo’muhodo/ /yo’muhodo/  /yu’kai na/ Younger Group 14.9 35 Older Group 51.4 64.9 p < .01 p < .05

  9. Individual distribution: Sentence 2

  10. Individual distribution in HIdaka: Sentence 3

  11. Pitch Contours of Age Groups Young Old subject to “catathesis” steady realization of pitch accents minor pitch peaks and accentual de-generation prominent pitch peaks

  12. Summary & Discussion • YES! Pitch Leveling is Prevalent among the Younger Generation… OLD: less F0 declination, more F0 increase Realization of pitch accents is sure and steady. F0 is vigorous and dynamic in its movement with relatively prominent pitch peaks and even with frequent pitch reset. YOUNG: more F0 declination, less F0 increase Realization of pitch accents is subject to “catathesis” (= a feature of the Tokyo dialect). F0 is flat with relatively minor pitch peaks and accentual de-generation. • YES! This could be a nation-wide phenomenon… One of the processes of “standardization” of regional dialects? Female speakers lead this change both in Hokkaido and Kagoshima, as is usually the case in linguistic change in general??

  13. Further Investigation to Call For • Is there such a thing as age-linked differences in perception of prosodic units?… OLD: frequent pitch reset  sensitivity to individual APs as a single prosodic unit YOUNG: frequent weakening or de-generation of pitch accents  tendency to “do chunking” of multiple APs as a single prosodic unit • Is this a “genuine” linguistic change or just a reflection of age-grading?… The necessity of more widespread corpora (e.g., middle-aged group, speakers of different local dialects) for further analysis • How can we account for individual variability within the age group? … The necessity of a more qualitative look at individuals’ social lives, including the degree of contact with speakers of local dialects (e.g., grandparents), social network structures, loyalty to vernacular culture, etc.

  14. References Cheshire, J. (1982). Linguistic variation and social function. In S. Romaine (ed.), Sociolinguistic Variation in Speech Communities. London: Edward Arnold. Pp. 153-66. Kubozono, H. (1993). The Organization of Japanese Prosody. Tokyo: Kurosio. Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic Patterns. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. Milroy, L. (1980). Language and Social Networks. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. Pierrehumbert, J., & Beckman, M. (1988). Japanese Tone Structure. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Sibata, T. (1978). Shakai-gengogaku no kadai (Issues in sociolinguistics). Tokyo: Sanseido. ________. (1995). Nihongo wa omoshiroi (Japanese is interesting). Tokyo: Iwanami. Thomas, E. R. (2002). Instrumental phonetics. In J. Chambers, et al. (eds.), The Handbook of Language Variation and Change. New York: Blackwell. ________. (2002). Sociophonetic applications of speech perception experiments. American Speech 77(2): 115-47.

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