The realization of different structural focus conditions in Saudi Arabic dialects

TY - GEN

T1 - The realization of different structural focus conditions in Saudi Arabic dialects

AU - Alzamil, Aljawharah

AU - Hellmuth, Sam

N1 - This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details Cite as: Alzamil, A., Hellmuth, S. (2021) The prosodic realisation of focus in Saudi Arabic dialects in comparative perspective. Proc. 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation (TAI), 195-199, doi: 10.21437/TAI.2021-40

PY - 2022/7/4

Y1 - 2022/7/4

N2 - Production data from speakers of three varieties of Saudi Arabic (Najdi/Hijazi/Jizani), in two age groups, are used to explore whether generalizations about prosodic focus marking in Urban Hijazi Arabic reported by Alzaidi et al. [1] are i) shared with other Saudi dialects, ii) stable across generations of speakers, and iii) maintained in the context of other focus strategies. Data was elicited using a question-and-answer reading task (cf. [1]) but also a picture description task which gives speakers freedom to express focus by all grammatical means available. In both paradigms, parallel target words were presented in different contexts to elicit broad focus versus two types of narrow focus. Quantitative analysis of acoustic properties in the stressed syllable of target words across conditions is reported, alongside visualization of the F0 contour and qualitative analysis of alternative focus marking strategies. Results show some differences between dialects in the type and degree of acoustic cues observed in on-focus positions. Off-focus cues, in both pre-focus and post-focus positions, are similar across dialects. All three dialects display alternative focus marking strategies, with indications of a potential trade-off between non-prosodic strategies versus on-focus prosodic marking.

AB - Production data from speakers of three varieties of Saudi Arabic (Najdi/Hijazi/Jizani), in two age groups, are used to explore whether generalizations about prosodic focus marking in Urban Hijazi Arabic reported by Alzaidi et al. [1] are i) shared with other Saudi dialects, ii) stable across generations of speakers, and iii) maintained in the context of other focus strategies. Data was elicited using a question-and-answer reading task (cf. [1]) but also a picture description task which gives speakers freedom to express focus by all grammatical means available. In both paradigms, parallel target words were presented in different contexts to elicit broad focus versus two types of narrow focus. Quantitative analysis of acoustic properties in the stressed syllable of target words across conditions is reported, alongside visualization of the F0 contour and qualitative analysis of alternative focus marking strategies. Results show some differences between dialects in the type and degree of acoustic cues observed in on-focus positions. Off-focus cues, in both pre-focus and post-focus positions, are similar across dialects. All three dialects display alternative focus marking strategies, with indications of a potential trade-off between non-prosodic strategies versus on-focus prosodic marking.

KW - Saudi Arabic

KW - focus

KW - dialectal variation

KW - post-focal compression

U2 - 10.21437/TAI.2021-40

DO - 10.21437/TAI.2021-40

M3 - Conference contribution

SP - 195

EP - 199

BT - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation (TAI2021)

PB - ISCA-INST SPEECH COMMUNICATION ASSOC

T2 - 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation (TAI) 2021

Y2 - 6 December 2021 through 9 December 2021

ER -