SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This is a study of Phonation-type differences in Gujarati, using the approach of Prosodic analysis. The observer's own pronunciation is used as the basis for this analysis. A phonological analysis of Gujarati in these terms has not been attempted before. The presentation of this thesis is made in three main parts. The introduction refers to the general background of the language, its origin, its literary beginnings and previous studies of the language. The writing system of the language presents an outline of orthographic patterns which it may be useful to compare with the phonetic forms. Notes on the phonetic notation have been given to provide values for the broad reading transcription of the examples. Section 1:- This deals with the phonetic basis of the analysis in broad terms. Chapters one and two are concerned with the description of vowel and consonant sounds. Chapter two also refers to symbols which are used in the thesis when a narrow transcription of examples is required. Sounds are described in three places in the word, initial, medial and final; and examples have been given. Chapter three outlines different syllable patterns of the language and gives tables to show different possibilities of consonant groups. Chapter four deals with previous work done in the field of general phonetics with regard to different types of phonation in Gujarati which is frequently instanced as a language showing special characteristics of 'breathy' or 'murmur' articulation or, to use Catford's recent (1977) terminology, 'whispery voice' and 'ligamental voice' articulations. This chapter serves as a link between the phonetic and phonological. aspects of the problem. Section 2:- This deals principally with the phonological statement of phonation differences in Gujarati word structures, and to apply the principles of prosodic analysis to the statement of the systems. Chapter five gives the phonological statements on phonation types which are broadly grouped as (a) 'clear' phonation type and (b) 'breathy' phonation type. It also serves as a basis for the sort of analysis which will be given in the following two chapters. Chapter six, on word prosodies, deals with the main characteristic features of the phonological word, which has been studied as a maximum unit in the thesis. In Chapter seven the phonetic exponents of the two prosodies sire related to the syllable as a whole and syllable-initial and syllable-final. In conclusion the usefulness of this approach has been indicated. Chapter eight contains a limited amount of instrumental support for the prosodic analysis. Appendices follow which contain the text of words used as examples, spectograms, aerometer readings, and a taped sample of the observer's pronunciation.