Year: 2004
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Tonal languages, such as Mandarin, convey information using both phonemes and tones.Using a recently proposed framework for measuring the functional load of a phonological contrast (i.e.how much use a language makes of the contrast), we carry out several computations to estimate how much use Mandarin makes of tones.The most interesting result is that identifying the tone of a syllable is at least as important as identifying the vowels in the syllable.Another computation suggests that the contrast between low and neutral tone carries relatively little information.
Source: Speech prosody
Authors: Dinoj Surendran, Gina-Anne Levow
Institution: University of Chicago
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W329375248