Stavroula Sotiropoulou, PhD | Universitaet Potsdam (original) (raw)

Papers by Stavroula Sotiropoulou, PhD

Research paper thumbnail of Spatiotemporal coordination in word-medial stop-lateral and s-stop clusters of American English

Phonetica, 2021

This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatio... more This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatiotemporal coordination using Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from seven speakers of American English (henceforth, English). Whereas previous work on English has focused on word-initial clusters (preceding a vowel whose identity was not systematically varied), the present work examined word-medial clusters /pl, kl, sp, sk/ in the context of three different vowel heights (high, mid, low). Our results provide evidence for a global organization for the segments involved in these cluster-vowel combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: compression of the prevocalic consonant and reduction of CV timing in the word-medial cluster case compared to its singleton paired word in both stop-lateral and s-stop clusters, early vowel initiation (as permitted by the clusters’ phonetic properties), and presence of compensatory relations between phonetic properties of different segments o...

Research paper thumbnail of Global organization in Spanish onsets

Journal of Phonetics, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Structure in mind, structure in vocal tract

Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Phonetic indices of syllabic organization in German stop-lateral clusters

Volume 13

Using articulatory data from five German speakers, we study how segmental sequences under differe... more Using articulatory data from five German speakers, we study how segmental sequences under different syllabic organizations respond to perturbations of phonetic parameters in the segments that compose them. Target words contained stop-lateral sequences /bl, gl, kl, pl/ in word-initial and cross-word contexts and were embedded in carrier phrases with different prosodic boundaries, i.e., no phrase boundary versus an utterance phrase boundary preceded the target word in the case of word-initial clusters, or separated the consonants in the case of cross-word sequences. For word-initial cluster (CCV) onsets, we find that increasing C1 stop duration or the lag between two consonants leads to earlier vowel initiation and reduced local timing stability across CV, CCV. Furthermore, as the inter-consonantal lag increases, C2 duration decreases. In contrast, for cross-word C#CV sequences, increasing inter-consonantal lag does not lead to earlier vowel initiation and robust local timing stabilit...

Research paper thumbnail of Dissecting the consonant duration ratio

It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic ... more It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic of syllabification: if greater than 1, then C1C2 is a syllable onset; if (approximately) 1, C1C2 is a coda– onset sequence. If valid, this diagnostic would provide a straightforward way of assessing syllabic organization. We examined the validity of the DR using the Wisconsin X-Ray Microbeam corpus, which due to its size permits a robust test. We also informed our evaluation by another archive of kinematics and acoustics, with finer comparisons. These corpora extend an evaluation of the DR to word-medial clusters, in addition to initial and crossword contexts wherein the DR has been studied before. Our results indicate that duration ratio patterns previously thought to be related to syllabification derive from levels of representation or prosody which are not specifically syllabic. These patterns are conditioned by prosodic effects and manner contrasts.

Research paper thumbnail of Articulatory Coordination in L 2-Speakers of Spanish

Although recent research has shed some light on relative timing in laryngeal and oral articulator... more Although recent research has shed some light on relative timing in laryngeal and oral articulatory gestures, little is known about articulatory patterns of second language (L2) users along the trajectory from novice to expert. We report results of an electromagnetic articulographic (EMA) investigation of two native English speakers' L2 Spanish— languages in which voicing and word-initial overlap in C1C2 clusters are markedly different. We examine how voicing implementation and onset cluster overlap change as a function of L1 by comparing these speakers to previously recorded native Spanish speakers (under review). Analyses of L1 and L2 groups' articulatory overlap in voicedand voicelessstop clusters revealed subtle group differences, the L2 speakers not producing some fine-grained native differences in overlap. However, analyses of voiceless-stop VOTs in singleton/complex clusters revealed substantial differences partially attributable to syllable complexity. Results will be...

Research paper thumbnail of Spatiotemporal coordination in word-medial stop-lateral and s-stop clusters of American English

Phonetica, 2021

This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatio... more This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatiotemporal coordination using Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from seven speakers of American English (henceforth, English). Whereas previous work on English has focused on word-initial clusters (preceding a vowel whose identity was not systematically varied), the present work examined word-medial clusters /pl, kl, sp, sk/ in the context of three different vowel heights (high, mid, low). Our results provide evidence for a global organization for the segments involved in these cluster-vowel combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: compression of the prevocalic consonant and reduction of CV timing in the word-medial cluster case compared to its singleton paired word in both stop-lateral and s-stop clusters, early vowel initiation (as permitted by the clusters’ phonetic properties), and presence of compensatory relations between phonetic properties of different segments o...

Research paper thumbnail of Temporal Aspects of Word Initial Single Consonants and Consonants in Clusters in Spanish

Phonetica

We examined gestural coordination in C1C2 (C1 stop, C2 lateral or tap) word initial clusters usin... more We examined gestural coordination in C1C2 (C1 stop, C2 lateral or tap) word initial clusters using articulatory (electromagnetic articulometry) and acoustic data from six speakers of Standard Peninsular Spanish. We report on patterns of voice onset time (VOT), gestural plateau duration of C1, C2, and their overlap. For VOT, as expected, place of articulation is a major factor, with velars exhibiting longer VOTs than labials. Regarding C1 plateau duration, voice and place effects were found such that voiced consonants are significantly shorter than voiceless consonants, and velars show longer duration than labials. For C2 plateau duration, lateral duration was found to vary as a function of onset complexity (C vs. CC). As for overlap, unlike in French, where articulatory data for clusters have also been examined, clusters where both C1 and C2 are voiced show more overlap than where voicing differs. Further, overlap was affected by the C2 such that clusters where C2 is a tap show less overlap than clusters where C2 is a lateral. We discuss these results in the context of work aiming to uncover phonetic (e.g., articulatory or perceptual) and phonological forces (e.g., syllabic organization) on timing.

Research paper thumbnail of Global organization in Spanish onsets

This paper addresses the relation between syllable structure and inter-segmental temporal coordin... more This paper addresses the relation between syllable structure and inter-segmental temporal coordination. The data examined are Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from six speakers of Central Peninsular Spanish (henceforth, Spanish), producing words beginning with the clusters /pl, bl, kl, gl, pɾ, kɾ, tɾ/ as well as corresponding unclustered sonorant-initial words in three vowel contexts /a, e, o/. In our results, we find evidence for a global organization of the segments involved in these combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: shortening of the prevocalic sonorant in the cluster-initial case compared to the unclustered case, reorganization of the relative timing of the internal CV subsequence (in a CCV) in the obstruent-lateral context, early vowel initiation, and a strong compensatory relation between the duration of the open transition (between the obstruent and the sonorant) and lateral duration. In other words, we find that the global organization presiding over the segments partaking in these tautosyllabic CCVs is pleiotropic, that is, simultaneously expressed over a set of different phonetic parameters rather than via a privileged metric such as c-center stability or any other such given single measure (employed in prior works).

Research paper thumbnail of Structure in mind, structure in vocal tract

We update our understanding of the view that grammar regulates inter-segmental temporal coordinat... more We update our understanding of the view that grammar regulates inter-segmental temporal coordination and present an extension of that view to a new domain: we argue that inter-segmental coordination is basic to prosody. It is the glue joining segments together differently in different languages (here, illustrated with examples from Arabic and Spanish) and orchestrates their unfolding in ways corresponding to constructs posited in theoretical analysis. The correspondence is one between organization in mind-brain and organization in vocal tract. Moreover, for both mind-brain and vocal tract, the organization is phonological and abstract. It is so because it holds over segments of various identities: in Arabic, the first segment in /bka/ is not prosodified as part of the same unit as /ka/ and this holds true also for /blat/, /klat/ and so on, regardless of sonority. In contrast, in English or Spanish, a different organization holds. Crucially, uniformity in organization (same organization presiding over sequences with varying segmental makeup) does not imply uniqueness of phonetic exponents: prosodic organization is pleiotropic, simultaneously expressed by more than one phonetic exponent. Finally, two properties of coordination relations are underscored: lawful flexibility and abstractness. The first is revealed in the degrees of freedom with which movements corresponding to any given effector begin ; the second in invariances of task-relevant kinematic signatures regardless of the effectors implicated in any given segmental sequence. Once again, abstract phono-logical structure is mirrored in vocal tracts via coordination relations holding across physiology and the particular modes of its operation.
[The final publication is available at link.springer.com, DOI: 10.1007/s11049-019-09445-y]

Research paper thumbnail of Timing of German onset and word boundary clusters

Laboratory Phonology, 2014

Previous studies suggest that there are special timing relations in syllable onsets. The consonan... more Previous studies suggest that there are special timing relations in syllable onsets. The consonants are assumed to be timed on the one hand with the vocalic nucleus and on the other hand with each other. These competing bonding relations result in the C-center effect. However, the C-center e↵ect has not consistently been found in languages with complex onsets. Moreover, it has occasionally been found in languages disallowing complex onsets. The present study investigates onset timing in German while discussing alternative explanations (not related to bonding) for the timing patterns observed. Six German speakers were recorded via Electromagnetic Articulography. The corpus contained items with four clusters (/sk/, /kv/, /gl/ and /pl/). The clusters occur in word-initial position, word medial position and across a word boundary preceding di↵erent vowels. The results suggest that segmental properties (i.e. oral-laryngeal coordination, coarticulatory resistance) rather than bonding relations account for the observed patterns.

Research paper thumbnail of Dissecting the consonant duration ratio

It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic ... more It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic of syllabification: if greater than 1, then C1C2 is a syllable onset; if (approximately) 1, C1C2 is a coda–onset sequence. If valid, this diagnostic would provide a straightforward way of assessing syllabic organization. We examined the validity of the DR using the Wisconsin X-Ray Microbeam corpus, which due to its size permits a robust test. We also informed our evaluation by another archive of kinematics and acoustics, with finer comparisons. These corpora extend an evaluation of the DR to word-medial clusters, in addition to initial and cross-word contexts wherein the DR has been studied before. Our results indicate that duration ratio patterns previously thought to be related to syllabification derive from levels of representation or prosody which are not specifically syllabic. These patterns are conditioned by prosodic effects and manner contrasts.

Research paper thumbnail of Spatiotemporal coordination in word-medial stop-lateral and s-stop clusters of American English

Phonetica, 2021

This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatio... more This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatiotemporal coordination using Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from seven speakers of American English (henceforth, English). Whereas previous work on English has focused on word-initial clusters (preceding a vowel whose identity was not systematically varied), the present work examined word-medial clusters /pl, kl, sp, sk/ in the context of three different vowel heights (high, mid, low). Our results provide evidence for a global organization for the segments involved in these cluster-vowel combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: compression of the prevocalic consonant and reduction of CV timing in the word-medial cluster case compared to its singleton paired word in both stop-lateral and s-stop clusters, early vowel initiation (as permitted by the clusters’ phonetic properties), and presence of compensatory relations between phonetic properties of different segments o...

Research paper thumbnail of Global organization in Spanish onsets

Journal of Phonetics, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Structure in mind, structure in vocal tract

Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Phonetic indices of syllabic organization in German stop-lateral clusters

Volume 13

Using articulatory data from five German speakers, we study how segmental sequences under differe... more Using articulatory data from five German speakers, we study how segmental sequences under different syllabic organizations respond to perturbations of phonetic parameters in the segments that compose them. Target words contained stop-lateral sequences /bl, gl, kl, pl/ in word-initial and cross-word contexts and were embedded in carrier phrases with different prosodic boundaries, i.e., no phrase boundary versus an utterance phrase boundary preceded the target word in the case of word-initial clusters, or separated the consonants in the case of cross-word sequences. For word-initial cluster (CCV) onsets, we find that increasing C1 stop duration or the lag between two consonants leads to earlier vowel initiation and reduced local timing stability across CV, CCV. Furthermore, as the inter-consonantal lag increases, C2 duration decreases. In contrast, for cross-word C#CV sequences, increasing inter-consonantal lag does not lead to earlier vowel initiation and robust local timing stabilit...

Research paper thumbnail of Dissecting the consonant duration ratio

It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic ... more It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic of syllabification: if greater than 1, then C1C2 is a syllable onset; if (approximately) 1, C1C2 is a coda– onset sequence. If valid, this diagnostic would provide a straightforward way of assessing syllabic organization. We examined the validity of the DR using the Wisconsin X-Ray Microbeam corpus, which due to its size permits a robust test. We also informed our evaluation by another archive of kinematics and acoustics, with finer comparisons. These corpora extend an evaluation of the DR to word-medial clusters, in addition to initial and crossword contexts wherein the DR has been studied before. Our results indicate that duration ratio patterns previously thought to be related to syllabification derive from levels of representation or prosody which are not specifically syllabic. These patterns are conditioned by prosodic effects and manner contrasts.

Research paper thumbnail of Articulatory Coordination in L 2-Speakers of Spanish

Although recent research has shed some light on relative timing in laryngeal and oral articulator... more Although recent research has shed some light on relative timing in laryngeal and oral articulatory gestures, little is known about articulatory patterns of second language (L2) users along the trajectory from novice to expert. We report results of an electromagnetic articulographic (EMA) investigation of two native English speakers' L2 Spanish— languages in which voicing and word-initial overlap in C1C2 clusters are markedly different. We examine how voicing implementation and onset cluster overlap change as a function of L1 by comparing these speakers to previously recorded native Spanish speakers (under review). Analyses of L1 and L2 groups' articulatory overlap in voicedand voicelessstop clusters revealed subtle group differences, the L2 speakers not producing some fine-grained native differences in overlap. However, analyses of voiceless-stop VOTs in singleton/complex clusters revealed substantial differences partially attributable to syllable complexity. Results will be...

Research paper thumbnail of Spatiotemporal coordination in word-medial stop-lateral and s-stop clusters of American English

Phonetica, 2021

This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatio... more This paper is concerned with the relation between syllabic organization and intersegmental spatiotemporal coordination using Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from seven speakers of American English (henceforth, English). Whereas previous work on English has focused on word-initial clusters (preceding a vowel whose identity was not systematically varied), the present work examined word-medial clusters /pl, kl, sp, sk/ in the context of three different vowel heights (high, mid, low). Our results provide evidence for a global organization for the segments involved in these cluster-vowel combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: compression of the prevocalic consonant and reduction of CV timing in the word-medial cluster case compared to its singleton paired word in both stop-lateral and s-stop clusters, early vowel initiation (as permitted by the clusters’ phonetic properties), and presence of compensatory relations between phonetic properties of different segments o...

Research paper thumbnail of Temporal Aspects of Word Initial Single Consonants and Consonants in Clusters in Spanish

Phonetica

We examined gestural coordination in C1C2 (C1 stop, C2 lateral or tap) word initial clusters usin... more We examined gestural coordination in C1C2 (C1 stop, C2 lateral or tap) word initial clusters using articulatory (electromagnetic articulometry) and acoustic data from six speakers of Standard Peninsular Spanish. We report on patterns of voice onset time (VOT), gestural plateau duration of C1, C2, and their overlap. For VOT, as expected, place of articulation is a major factor, with velars exhibiting longer VOTs than labials. Regarding C1 plateau duration, voice and place effects were found such that voiced consonants are significantly shorter than voiceless consonants, and velars show longer duration than labials. For C2 plateau duration, lateral duration was found to vary as a function of onset complexity (C vs. CC). As for overlap, unlike in French, where articulatory data for clusters have also been examined, clusters where both C1 and C2 are voiced show more overlap than where voicing differs. Further, overlap was affected by the C2 such that clusters where C2 is a tap show less overlap than clusters where C2 is a lateral. We discuss these results in the context of work aiming to uncover phonetic (e.g., articulatory or perceptual) and phonological forces (e.g., syllabic organization) on timing.

Research paper thumbnail of Global organization in Spanish onsets

This paper addresses the relation between syllable structure and inter-segmental temporal coordin... more This paper addresses the relation between syllable structure and inter-segmental temporal coordination. The data examined are Electromagnetic Articulometry recordings from six speakers of Central Peninsular Spanish (henceforth, Spanish), producing words beginning with the clusters /pl, bl, kl, gl, pɾ, kɾ, tɾ/ as well as corresponding unclustered sonorant-initial words in three vowel contexts /a, e, o/. In our results, we find evidence for a global organization of the segments involved in these combinations. This is reflected in a number of ways: shortening of the prevocalic sonorant in the cluster-initial case compared to the unclustered case, reorganization of the relative timing of the internal CV subsequence (in a CCV) in the obstruent-lateral context, early vowel initiation, and a strong compensatory relation between the duration of the open transition (between the obstruent and the sonorant) and lateral duration. In other words, we find that the global organization presiding over the segments partaking in these tautosyllabic CCVs is pleiotropic, that is, simultaneously expressed over a set of different phonetic parameters rather than via a privileged metric such as c-center stability or any other such given single measure (employed in prior works).

Research paper thumbnail of Structure in mind, structure in vocal tract

We update our understanding of the view that grammar regulates inter-segmental temporal coordinat... more We update our understanding of the view that grammar regulates inter-segmental temporal coordination and present an extension of that view to a new domain: we argue that inter-segmental coordination is basic to prosody. It is the glue joining segments together differently in different languages (here, illustrated with examples from Arabic and Spanish) and orchestrates their unfolding in ways corresponding to constructs posited in theoretical analysis. The correspondence is one between organization in mind-brain and organization in vocal tract. Moreover, for both mind-brain and vocal tract, the organization is phonological and abstract. It is so because it holds over segments of various identities: in Arabic, the first segment in /bka/ is not prosodified as part of the same unit as /ka/ and this holds true also for /blat/, /klat/ and so on, regardless of sonority. In contrast, in English or Spanish, a different organization holds. Crucially, uniformity in organization (same organization presiding over sequences with varying segmental makeup) does not imply uniqueness of phonetic exponents: prosodic organization is pleiotropic, simultaneously expressed by more than one phonetic exponent. Finally, two properties of coordination relations are underscored: lawful flexibility and abstractness. The first is revealed in the degrees of freedom with which movements corresponding to any given effector begin ; the second in invariances of task-relevant kinematic signatures regardless of the effectors implicated in any given segmental sequence. Once again, abstract phono-logical structure is mirrored in vocal tracts via coordination relations holding across physiology and the particular modes of its operation.
[The final publication is available at link.springer.com, DOI: 10.1007/s11049-019-09445-y]

Research paper thumbnail of Timing of German onset and word boundary clusters

Laboratory Phonology, 2014

Previous studies suggest that there are special timing relations in syllable onsets. The consonan... more Previous studies suggest that there are special timing relations in syllable onsets. The consonants are assumed to be timed on the one hand with the vocalic nucleus and on the other hand with each other. These competing bonding relations result in the C-center effect. However, the C-center e↵ect has not consistently been found in languages with complex onsets. Moreover, it has occasionally been found in languages disallowing complex onsets. The present study investigates onset timing in German while discussing alternative explanations (not related to bonding) for the timing patterns observed. Six German speakers were recorded via Electromagnetic Articulography. The corpus contained items with four clusters (/sk/, /kv/, /gl/ and /pl/). The clusters occur in word-initial position, word medial position and across a word boundary preceding di↵erent vowels. The results suggest that segmental properties (i.e. oral-laryngeal coordination, coarticulatory resistance) rather than bonding relations account for the observed patterns.

Research paper thumbnail of Dissecting the consonant duration ratio

It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic ... more It has been argued that the duration ratio (DR) of two consonants in C1C2 serves as a diagnostic of syllabification: if greater than 1, then C1C2 is a syllable onset; if (approximately) 1, C1C2 is a coda–onset sequence. If valid, this diagnostic would provide a straightforward way of assessing syllabic organization. We examined the validity of the DR using the Wisconsin X-Ray Microbeam corpus, which due to its size permits a robust test. We also informed our evaluation by another archive of kinematics and acoustics, with finer comparisons. These corpora extend an evaluation of the DR to word-medial clusters, in addition to initial and cross-word contexts wherein the DR has been studied before. Our results indicate that duration ratio patterns previously thought to be related to syllabification derive from levels of representation or prosody which are not specifically syllabic. These patterns are conditioned by prosodic effects and manner contrasts.