Rhotics and Palatalization: An Acoustic Examination of Upper and Lower Sorbian

Two of the major problems with rhotics are: (1) rhotics, unlike most other classes, are highly resistant to secondary palatalization, and (2) acoustic cues for rhotics as a class have been elusive. This study examines the acoustics of Upper and Lower Sorbian rhotics. Dynamic measures of the F1-F3 and F2-F1 were recorded and compared using SSANOVAs. The results indicate there is a striking delay in achievement of F2 for both the palatalized rhotics, while F2, F1, and F2-F1 are similar for all the rhotics tested here. The results suggest an inherent articulatory conflict between rhotics and secondary palatalization. The delay in the F2 increase indicates a delay in the palatalization gesture. This is likely due to conflicting constraints on the tongue dorsum. There was also an overlap in the F2 and F2-F1 for both the uvular and alveolar rhotics. This suggests a strong acoustic cue to rhotic classhood is found in the F2 signal. The overall formant similarities in frequency and trajectory also suggest a strong similarity in the vocal tract shapes between uvular and alveolar rhotics.