This paper fills a gap in sociophonetic research by examining the pronunciation of <ir> in Kreis Höxter, Germany. The paper investigates whether speakers demonstrate a shift to more back and open sounds.
As sociolinguistics as a systematic research field developed no longer than in the mid twentieth century, many sociolinguistic phenomena remain unexplained yet or are not studied to a wide extent. This is also the case for the sociophonetic research topic of this paper. It is generally known, although not systematically proven, that in Northern Germany, many speakers articulate more back and open sounds compared to Standard German when they pronounce words containing the grapheme sequence <ir>. This could be exemplified by the word <Hirsch>, which a North-German speaker who inspired this project pronounced with /ɵ/, where the tongue is positioned more back than with /ɪ/. Sometimes, one can also hear an /ø/, where the mouth is more open than with /ɪ/. This applies to younger female speakers who are vocally trained. Likewise, the 37-year-old male speaker from Northern Germany is very well vocally trained as a singer and audiobook/radio play speaker.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 Previous Research and General Concepts
2.2 Working Hypothesis
3. Analysis
3.1 Data and Methodology
3.2 Results
4. Discussion/Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Research Objective and Core Themes
This paper investigates the sociophonetic phenomenon of vowel shifting in Northern Germany, specifically examining whether speakers in Kreis Höxter articulate the grapheme sequence <ir> with more open and back sounds compared to Standard German. The study explores how social variables such as age and gender influence these phonetic realizations through a sample analysis of ten participants.
- Sociophonetic analysis of German <ir> sequences
- Influence of age and gender on vowel articulation
- Phonetic measurement using PRAAT software
- Comparison between Standard German and North German varieties
- Methodological evaluation of word-list based elicitation
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
As sociolinguistics as a systematic research field developed no longer than in the mid twentieth century, many sociolinguistic phenomena remain unexplained yet or are not studied to a wide extent. This is also the case for the sociophonetic research topic of this paper. It is generally known, although not systematically proven, that in Northern Germany, many speakers articulate more back and open sounds compared to Standard German when they pronounce words containing the grapheme sequence <ir>. This could be exemplified by the word <Hirsch>, which a North-German speaker who inspired this project pronounced with /ɵ/, where the tongue is positioned more back than with /ɪ/. Sometimes, one can also hear an /ø/, where the mouth is more open than with /ɪ/. According to Prof. Dr Langstrof, this applies to younger female speakers who are vocally trained. Likewise, the 37-year-old male speaker from Northern Germany is very well vocally trained as a singer and audiobook/radio play speaker.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the research gap regarding the pronunciation of <ir> in Northern Germany and defines the scope, participant sample, and variables of the study.
2. Theoretical Background: This chapter reviews phonetic concepts, including allophones of /r/ and vowel qualities, and establishes the working hypothesis that subjects will articulate <ir> with more open and back variations.
3. Analysis: This section details the methodology, including participant demographics and the use of PRAAT for acoustic analysis, and presents the collected vowel chart results for each subject.
4. Discussion/Conclusion: The final chapter interprets the findings, noting that the expected shift in the first part of <ir> was limited, while unexpected open/back variations appeared in the second part of the sequence.
Keywords
Sociophonetics, Northern Germany, Kreis Höxter, Grapheme sequence <ir>, vowel shift, articulation, Standard German, acoustic analysis, PRAAT, social variables, age, gender, phonetics, vowel trapezium, allophones
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental objective of this research paper?
The paper aims to investigate whether speakers from Kreis Höxter articulate words containing the grapheme sequence <ir> with more open and back vowel sounds than those found in Standard German.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers sociophonetics, the phonetic characteristics of Northern German varieties, the impact of social variables like age and gender on speech, and the technical methodology of acoustic vowel analysis.
What is the central research question?
The research asks whether and to what extent speakers in Kreis Höxter shift to more back and open sounds in the pronunciation of <ir> compared to the standard /ɪ/ phoneme.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The research employs a qualitative sociophonetic approach, utilizing a word list for data elicitation and software-based acoustic analysis (PRAAT) to measure F1 and F2 values of the subjects' vowel productions.
What content is addressed in the analysis section?
The analysis covers the methodology of subject selection (10 participants), the word list design, the acoustic data recording process, and the visualization of individual results through vowel charts.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Sociophonetics, Kreis Höxter, <ir> sequence, vowel shift, PRAAT analysis, and sociolinguistic variables.
How were individual vocal differences between speakers accounted for?
Because every speaker has a unique voice, the study measured clear /ɪ/ values from dummy words for each individual to establish a baseline average for comparison.
What role does the post-vocalic /r/ play in the study's findings?
Surprisingly, the study found that the /r/ segment itself was occasionally articulated more openly and with a more back tongue position, particularly in words like <Hirsch> and <Kirsche>.
Why was a word list used instead of natural conversation?
The word list was chosen to ensure recording consistency and to capture specific test words, although the author notes that this method may lead to more artificial speech patterns compared to natural conversation.
Did the study confirm the working hypothesis?
The hypothesis was confirmed only to a limited extent: while some subjects shifted their pronunciation, the phenomenon was not universal and was more linked to openness than the back position of the tongue.
- Quote paper
- Lisa Thöne (Author), 2022, A Shift to Back- and Openness in the Pronunciation of Words Containing the Grapheme Sequence <ir>?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1475231
