Research

Ohio State Dissertations in Linguistics (OSDL)

Hyeon-Seok Kang (1997)

Phonological Variation in Glides and Diphthongs of Seoul Korean: Its Synchrony and Diachrony

Advisor: Donald Winford

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Abstract:

This dissertation is an investigation of phonological variation in Seoul Korean; three lenition processes are examined in this research: w deletion, y deletion and ii monophthongization. This study is based on three different models: the Labovian quantitative paradigm as its sociolinguistic model, Optimality Theory as its phonological model, and Ohala'9s phonetic explanation model of sound change as its phonetic model. These three models all crucially contribute to my explanation of variation and changes currently observed in the diphthongal system of Seoul Korean.

This study first shows that w deletion in Seoul Korean is a processconditioned by both linguistic and social factors. In particular, it suggests that the place of articulation of the preceding consonant is an important factor among linguistic constraints: bilabial and nonbilabial consonants show dichotic effects in triggering the deletion of following w. Dominant deletion of w after labial consonants is claimed by the current study to be attributable to the effect of the OCP as a rule trigger.

This study also shows that Seoul Korean has two different processes of y deletion: categorical deletion and variable deletion. It is claimed that two different processes of y deletion are triggered by two distinct OCP constraints which have rather different strengths. the different strengths of these two constraints are shown within the OTframework using the device of a constraint hierarchy. It is also suggested that y deletion before the vowel e is a sound change in progress. The present study claims that this change is caused by a relative lack of perceptual saliency of this diphthongal sequence. The current study also shows that the diphthong ii has completely monophthongized except in word-initial position. It is suggested that ii monophtongization involved not one diachronic change but actually three different changes. It is claimed that ii monophthongization has dual causation: structural pressure to eliminate the only remaining falling diphthong ii and a relative lack of acoustic modulations between the component segments of this diphthong. Ample sociolinguistic and theoretical implications of the major findings of this study are discussed in the final chapter.