On the relation between the similarity of the acoustic distribution patterns of vowels and the language closeness

• Published in: International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology
• Main Authors: Huhe Harnud, Zhou Xuewen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2021
• Subjects: Altaic languages; Acoustic distribution pattern; Similarity; Closeness; Anthropology; GN1-890; Ethnology. Social and cultural anthropology; GN301-674; Ewenki
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-021-00054-5; https://doaj.org/article/84bf4806be3f4e4ab342b2725a1b9bc6

Abstract Based on the “Unified Platform for Speech Acoustic Parameters of Chinese Minority Languages”, this paper calculates and compares the acoustic distribution of vowels in Mongolian, Uyghur, and Ewenki and proposes a hypothesis that the relevance between the similarity of the acoustic distribution patterns of vowels and language closeness does exist. It indicates that the acoustic pattern implies clues of closeness and relevance among the three languages. The results demonstrate that, in terms of vowels, Mongolian and Ewenki are closely related. Both those languages and the Uyghur language are distant relatives, with only typological similarity. This paper provides a new perspective for the research methodology of language kindred. It proves that the comparison of acoustic pattern is of significance in studies in linguistics, linguistic typology, historical comparative linguistics, and anthropology.