Abstract：
The Kam language has experienced historical tonal splits, resulting in the development of a complex tonal system. However, there is still limited knowledge regarding the acoustic characteristics associated with aspiration-based tone splitting. This study aims to investigate the acoustic cues related to the tonal registers and laryngeal configurations in Donglei Kam, a dialect of Southern Kam. Sixteen native speakers of Donglei Kam participated, producing lexical tones. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the acoustic distinctions between tonal registers, using measurements of voice onset time, spectral tilt, noise, and energy. The results indicated that Donglei Kam retained a two-way contrast of aspiration, albeit with a trend toward gradual loss. Additionally, a breathy voice was detected in the Ciyin tonal register, characterized by elevated spectral tilt values and spectral noise throughout the vowels. Moreover, machine learning classifiers effectively identified tonal registers using voice-quality data, suggesting that the phonation contrast between breathy and modal voice could contribute to the tonal split alongside pitch contrast. In summary, these findings enhance our understanding of the acoustic implementation of breathiness in Kam and offer valuable insights into the role of laryngeal contrast in tonal splits.
摘要：
锦语经历了历史的音调分裂，导致复杂的色调系统的发展。然而,关于与基于抽吸的音调分离相关联的声学特性的知识仍然有限。这项研究旨在调查与DongleiKam的音调配准和喉部构型有关的声学线索，南锦的方言.十六名以东雷锦为母语的人士参加,产生词汇音调。进行了统计分析，以检查音调寄存器之间的声学区别，使用语音发作时间的测量，频谱倾斜,噪音,和能量。结果表明，东雷Kam保留了误吸的双向对比，尽管有逐渐亏损的趋势。此外,在Ciyin音调寄存器中检测到呼吸的声音，其特征在于整个元音的频谱倾斜值和频谱噪声升高。此外，机器学习分类器使用语音质量数据有效地识别音调寄存器，这表明呼吸和模态语音之间的发声对比可能有助于音调分裂和音调对比。总之,这些发现增强了我们对Kam呼吸的声学实施的理解，并为喉部对比剂在音调分裂中的作用提供了有价值的见解。
