客家話舌尖元音的世代變異及其音韻學解釋

Generational Variation of the Apical Vowel in Hakka and Its Phonological Explanations

本文利用性別、年齡兩個社會變數來探討苗栗四縣客家話的單元音格局變化。研究結果發現，不論何種性別，四縣客家話的舌尖元音[]均有隨世代年輕化而朝[i]靠攏的趨勢；同時，這種變化趨勢亦可從其他共時的客方言點的歷史語音演變獲得支持。最後，本文進一步從語音標記性、元音系統、語音感知，以及語言演化等觀點，為這種語音緩變的現象提供音韻學上的詮釋。

This study aims to acoustically investigate the pattern change of the monophthongs in Sixian Hakka in terms of such social variables as gender and age. Regardless of gender difference, research results show the apical vowel [
] moves gradually in the direction toward [i]. The younger the informant is, the greater approximation to [i]. This phenomenon also gains empirical support from other synchronic Hakka dialects in Taiwan. Last, this study attempts to provide phonological explanations for this gradual pattern change from four perspectives: markedness, vowel system, speech perception and language evolution.