Consonant lenition as a sociophonetic variable in Murrinh Patha (Australia) (original) (raw)

This study presents the first sociophonetic exploration of Murrinh Patha, an Aboriginal language from Australia, focusing on a distinctive consonant lenition affecting /p/ and /k/ in stressed, word-initial syllables. It finds that younger male speakers exhibit more lenition compared to older ones, and that language heritage, influenced by recent contact with neighboring Marri languages, plays a significant role in the phenomenon. The research situates this lenition within broader Australian phonological patterns and offers insights into the social factors that influence its occurrence.