Locus Equations and the Degree of Coarticulation of Arabic Consonants

Abstract

Abstract The intent of the present study is to investigate the information for place of articulation provided by locus equations, using Moroccan speakers of Modern Standard Arabic. Locus equations are straight-line regression function fits to co-ordinates derived by relating onsets of F₂ transitions of different vowels to their corresponding steady states. Ten subjects produced CVCVC(VC) tokens, the first consonant of each was one of the following list: (/f/, /b/, / bx/, /s/, /sx/, /d/, /dx/, /t/, /tx/, /σ/, /h/, /χ). Each initial consonant was followed by one of the six vowels (/i/, /æ/, /u/, /i:/, /æ:/, /u:/). The present study attempted to explore to what extent locus equations can distinguish between different consonants varying in place and manner of articulation. The findings are of two kinds. On the one hand, locus equations do not reflect certain place-of-articulation distinctions when many consonants varying both in place and manner of articulation are taken into consideration. On the other hand, locus equations are successful in distinguishing place between pharyngealized and non-pharyngealized consonants. Pharyngealized consonants (/bx, dx, sx, tx/) emerged as a totally distinct class, having the flattest locus equation slopes of all consonants.