大象传媒

Title

The voicing of initial /t/ of definite articles and object pronouns in Modern Greek dialects: Evidence from Greek Canadians

Abstract

This thesis examines the voicing of the clitic initial /t/ of accusative singular forms for definite articles or object pronouns in Standard Modern Greek. Previous examinations of this phenomenon have been sporadic and impressionistic.

The first part examines 3021 tokens from the Athenian, Peloponnesian, and Northern Greek dialect areas, focusing on social (gender, region) and structural (part of speech, final nasal) factors. Results show voicing is infrequent overall (9.53%) but more common among Northern speakers (13.89%). The second part analyses 477 tokens from Northern speakers in phrase-medial contexts, combining impressionistic and acoustic analysis. Findings reveal a higher voicing rate (21%) and confirm that voiced tokens exhibit significantly lower amplitude differences.

Sociolinguistic patterns show greater voicing among male speakers, with individual variation. The study contributes to Greek dialectology, highlighting the correlation between phonological patterns and social variation. 

About the student

Aminat Babayode-Lawal's research interests include sociolinguistics, language variation and change, linguistic landscapes, and language contact. Her research investigates the voicing of initial /t/ in definite articles and object pronouns in the speech of the first generation of Greek immigrants in Canada.  

Exam committee

Supervisor: Dr. Panos Pappas
GPC: Dr. Henny Yeung
External examiner: Dr. Dimitris Papazachariou