Possible-Word Constraints in Cantonese Speech Segmentation

Author: Yip M.C.W.

Source: Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Volume 33, Number 2, March 2004 , pp. 165-173(9)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

A Cantonese syllable-spotting experiment was conducted to examine whether the Possible-Word Constraint (PWC), proposed by Norris, McQueen, Cutler, and Butterfield (1997), can apply in Cantonese speech segmentation. In the experiment, listeners were asked to spot out the target Cantonese syllable from a series of nonsense sound strings. Results suggested that listeners found it more difficult to spot out the target syllable [k<IMG SRC="http://images.ingentaselect.com/absimages/klu/00906905/klu_jopr_2004_33_2_478173h.1.gif" ALT="\cal D" TEXT="a mathematical formula">m¹] in the nonsense sound strings that attached with a single consonant [tk<IMG SRC="http://images.ingentaselect.com/absimages/klu/00906905/klu_jopr_2004_33_2_478173h.1.gif" ALT="\cal D" TEXT="a mathematical formula">m¹] than in the nonsense sound strings that attached either with a vowel [a:k<IMG SRC="http://images.ingentaselect.com/absimages/klu/00906905/klu_jopr_2004_33_2_478173h.1.gif" ALT="\cal D" TEXT="a mathematical formula">m¹] or a pseudo-syllable [khow¹k<IMG SRC="http://images.ingentaselect.com/absimages/klu/00906905/klu_jopr_2004_33_2_478173h.1.gif" ALT="\cal D" TEXT="a mathematical formula">m¹]. Finally, the current set of results further supported that the PWC appears to be a language-universal mechanism in segmenting continuous speech.

Keywords: Cantonese; speech segmentation; possible-word constraint

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPR.0000017225.65288.4b

Affiliations: 1: School of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University of Hong Kong, 30 Good Shepherd Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR., Email: myip@ouhk.edu.hk

Publication date: 2004-03-01