Exploring tonal effects on the perception of word-final nasals: A preliminary study in Southern Min

Abstract

This paper investigates the perceptual confusion pattern in the three coda nasals /-m, -n, -η/ in Southern Min for insight into the effect of tone on the identification of nasal place of articulation. A general hierarchy of perceptual confusability - m>-η>-n was found in the current set of data, which is compatible with the fact that /-m/ was lost first in the historical merger of coda nasals in Chinese. Tones with a high pitch at the ending point resulted in higher accuracy of nasal identification in complete syllables. However, there was no tonal effect on the identification of nasal murmur. Vowel duration and vowel-nasal formant transition were the perceptual cues that listeners mostly relied on.