By electronically segmenting stimuli in German, two tests of perception of quantity related to tense or lax syllabic quantity were made possible. In one, the physical duration of the stressed vowel was shortened, and in the other, the occlusion of the consonant following the stressed vowel was shortened. (MSE)

THE LANGUAGES OF OKINAWAN MAY BE DIVIDED INTO THREE MUTUALLY UNINTELLIGIBLE REGIONAL DIALECTS, CORRESPONDING GEOGRAPHICALLY TO THE THREE GROUPS OF ISLANDS OF THE RYUUKYUU ARCHIPELAGO. AS REPRESENTATIVE MODEL OF THE REGIONAL DIALECTS, AGENA-GUCHI IS ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO PHONEMIC SYSTEMS, OKINAWAN MORPHOPHONEMICS, AND OKINAWAN SYLLABLE STRUCTURE…

Research supported by the Institute of Latin American Studies and the Canada Council. (DD)

Investigates two questions: (1) Will Russian lose its well-developed distinction between hard and soft consonants? (2) What would be the consequences of such a loss for comprehension of sustained discourse in the language? (EKN)

Explores data regarding the elision and epenthesis of the Spanish intervocalic /y/ and the underspecification of Spanish vowels and semivowels. Results lead to the proposal that such elision results from the Obligatory Contour Principle, operating on an autosegmental tier defining front vowels and /y/. (56 references) (CB)

The major consonant assimilation processes occurring in Classical and Colloquial Arabic are listed (classified as progressive or regressive, partial or complete), and an autosegmental analysis is performed on them. It is argued, on the basis of the autosegmental approach to the underlying representation of segments and to the application of…

Spectral compositions of voiced initial stops reveal that these consonants are longer in intensity than those in medial or final position. In final stops the vocal cords are more closed than they are in initial stops and oscillation is richer. (SC)

Phonological changes in modern Russian are described, with emphasis on vowels and the dynamic tendencies of changes in the vocalic system. (RM)

Assimilation refers to a segment influencing one or more neighboring segments across a word boundary. (DD)

Clarifies the analysis of the phoneme /s/ in the book "Spanish Phonology" by James W. Harris. (NCR)

Discusses phonic shifting or sound shifts through an examination of Grimm's Law, or the Germanic Consonant Shift. The discussion includes comments on why the phonic shift developed and its pattern. (10 references) (GLR)

Reviews and comments on the major points made in Albert Gessman's paper, "Grimm's Law: Fact or Myth?" Through the evaluation of the paper's 13 points, several ideas are pointed out that are believed to be crucial to Gessman's arguments. (29 references) (GLR)