In this paper, I present a theory of tonal change focusing on the directionality of tone change. Drawing on studies on phonetic variation in tones, I propose three main mechanisms that govern the directions in which tones change: 1) segment-tone interaction, 2) contextual variation, and 4) perceptual maximization. The predictions made by a model that includes these mechanisms are borne out by the tonal development of Bangkok Thai.
Directionality of tone change
ChulaSEAL author(s):
APA: Pittayaporn, Pittayawat. (2007). Directionality of tone change. In J. Trouvain and W. Barry (eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS2007), 1421-1424. Dudweiler: Pirrot.
