An Ultrasound Study of Gemination in Coronal Stops in Eastern Oromo

Abstract

This study extends the use of ultrasound methodology to stops in Eastern Oromo (Cushitic; Ethiopia) to examine the link between gemination, laryngeal features, and tongue shape.Ultrasound data were collected from 5 native speakers of Eastern Oromo. Tokens consisted of 12 repetitions per speaker of [t h , t, d, â] and six of [tt h , tt, dd, ââ] in the environment of a a. Tongue images at the point of maximum constriction during the stop closure were traced following [1] and their coordinates submitted to linear mixed effects models.Results indicated differences in tongue shape between singletons and geminates, especially for ejectives and implosives. Singleton ejectives displayed raised tongue bodies not found in geminate ejectives. Singleton implosives resembled voiceless stops, but geminate implosives were variably produced with tongue body raising.I suggest that the results can be attributed to fortition in geminates. Tongue body raising in singleton ejectives may be an enhancement strategy to the ejective contrast that is not necessary in longer geminates. The singleton implosive resembling a voiceless aspirated stop is predicted by [15] while the geminate tongue body raising may be retraction, c.f. [2]. The results support a link between tongue, larynx, and gemination.