Phonetics and Speech Sciences (말소리와 음성과학)

Korean Society of Speech Sciences (한국음성학회)
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Generational changes in the acoustic properties of word-initial stops in the North Gyeongsang dialect

경북 방언 어두 폐쇄음 음향 특징의 세대별 변화 양상 연구

  • Minjung Seo (Faculty of Business Administration, Ryukoku University)
  • 서민정 (류코쿠대학교 경영학부)
  • Received : 2026.04.29
  • Accepted : 2026.06.14
  • Published : 2026.06.30
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Abstract

Changes in the acoustic properties of Korean word-initial stops have been studied primarily in the Seoul dialect. However, some studies have revealed that similar changes are also occurring in the Gyeongsang dialect. Specifically, as in the Seoul dialect, younger speakers tend to exhibit a smaller voice onset time (VOT) difference between lenis and aspirated stops, while the F0 difference depending on the type of stop tends to increase. Nevertheless, the specific process of this change has not yet been sufficiently examined. This study aims to investigate how the acoustic properties of word-initial stops in the North Gyeongsang dialect have changed across generations by analyzing speakers from successive generations born between the 1950s and the 2000s. The results show that VOT values for lenis stops increase in younger generations, leading to a gradual convergence between the VOT of lenis and aspirated stops. In addition, younger speakers exhibit lower F0 values for lenis stops, and the differences in F0 across tonal categories are also reduced. Furthermore, this study identified the period when these changes in VOT and F0 began, and examined the specific process through which the acoustic properties of word-initial stops in the North Gyeongsang dialect have progressed.

한국어 어두 폐쇄음 음향 특징의 변화는 주로 서울 방언을 중심으로 연구되어 왔다. 그런데 최근 몇몇 연구들에 의하면 경상도 방언에서도 유사한 변화가 있는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 즉, 서울 방언과 마찬가지로 세대가 젊을수록 평음과 격음의 VOT의 차이는 감소하고, 폐쇄음에 따른 F0의 차이는 증가하는 경향을 보인다는 것이다. 하지만 경상도 방언 어두 폐쇄음이 어떠한 과정을 거쳐 변화해 왔는가에 관해서는 아직 충분한 논의가 이루어졌다고 보기 어렵다. 이에 본 연구에서는 1950년대생부터 2000년대생까지 연속된 세대를 대상으로 하여, 경북 방언 어두 폐쇄음의 음향 특징이 세대에 따라 어떻게 변해 왔는지를 밝히는 것을 목적으로 한다. 본 연구의 결과, VOT의 경우, 세대가 젊을수록 평음의 VOT가 길어져 평음과 격음의 VOT가 근접하는 변화를 확인할 수 있었다. 그리고 F0에 관해서는, 세대가 젊을수록 평음의 F0는 낮아지는 한편, 성조 유형에 따른 F0의 차이는 줄어드는 양상이 관찰되었다. 이러한 결과는 VOT와 F0가 어두 폐쇄음의 변별에 작용하는 양상이 통시적으로 변하고 있음을 시사한다. 나아가 VOT와 F0의 변화가 시작된 시기를 밝히고, 경북 방언 어두 폐쇄음의 음향 특징 변화가 어떠한 과정을 거쳐 진행되었는지를 고찰하였다

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구의 데이터는 Seo(2022)에서 일부 발췌하였습니다. 또한 본 연구는 JSPS KAKENHI(No.JP25K16274)의 지원을 받았습니다.

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